The largest number of accidents occurs in the dark. At this time, it is difficult for drivers to see the person who has stepped onto the roadway in time. Unfavorable weather conditions and unlit street sections exacerbate the situation. But pedestrians will be protected by reflective elements on their clothes.
In the evening and at night, on poorly lit sections of roads, the driver will notice a pedestrian who has at least one reflective element on his outer clothing from a fairly long distance. This is a proven fact. The research results showed that the reaction and actions of drivers almost 90% depend on the visual information they receive in a timely manner.
The human eye in the dark, alas, can perceive only 5% of what he easily distinguishes during the day. This is the reason for the vast majority of road accidents occurring on the roads of our (and not only our) country at dusk and at night. The driver notices too late a person running across a carriageway. But when there are at least some reflective elements (stripes or chevrons) on the clothes, the pedestrian becomes literally 3 times more noticeable to the driver, which allows him to react in a timely manner.
Benefits of using luminous elements
The first and most important advantage of using reflective elements is a 85% reduction in the risk of pedestrians getting into the vehicle. The second is the visibility of a retro-reflecting element always, in any weather, with any inclement weather. And neither fog nor rain will become this hindrance. Reflectors have the excellent property of deflecting the photon flux exactly in the direction from which they come, and therefore the light of the headlights of the car makes them perfectly visible.
There are many varieties of reflectors. Overalls with large reflective stripes can be purchased in the store without problems. But for everyday wear, she, of course, is not suitable. Therefore, reflective tape can be sewn onto your outerwear yourself. It’s just that such a tape is sold only in bulk, and in principle it is problematic to find it, unless you order it in any online store.
Clothing reflectors are now legally required
On the roadway, the driver, as a rule, notices a pedestrian at a distance of 25-30 meters, and even if he was traveling at a speed of 45-50 km / h, his stopping distance will still exceed this length. Therefore, the speed limit did not become a panacea for accidents, especially since in cities the problem is aggravated by intense headlight from oncoming cars, improper street lighting.
That is why, from July 1, 2015, amendments and minor amendments entered into the already existing law on reflective elements on clothing came into force. According to the currently established provision, in the dark, reflective stickers or patches on clothing should be available to all pedestrians, both crossing the street and moving along the curb of roads and highways. A pedestrian seen without reflectors on clothing will receive a warning or a fine of 500 rubles. And in the event of a traffic accident, such a pedestrian will have to take upon himself part of the blame.
We provide ourselves with reflectors
What if you have not yet been able to find special fabric or ribbons in the stores and sew these reflective elements on your clothes? Do not worry, this problem is solved. You can use all kinds of accessories, the assortment of which is quite diverse. These include flickers (stickers), luminous covers for backpacks, bracelets, pendants, badges and other details that do not attract attention in the daytime, but bring their day and night benefits with their reflective effect.
In Russian legislation there is GOST 32074-2013, which informs citizens about the regulations for the production of reflective parts, in addition, it also gives recommendations on the placement of these elements on clothes. You can always familiarize yourself with such documents on the traffic police website. By the way, you also need to consider that the life of the reflectors is 24 months.
Our children are the most important topic.
Sadly, children are the most vulnerable road users, so the importance of having retroreflective elements on children's clothes cannot be underestimated. The law prescribing the presence on the outer clothing of children of elements of retroreflectors has already entered into force, and therefore, for failure to fulfill it, parents will bear administrative responsibility.
Reflective elements for children in our time often began to be present on the clothes of children of all ages. And this is not surprising. These important and necessary details have become an integral part of children's clothing of many popular brands. It is especially important that the reflective element is present on the clothes of elementary school students who have to return home unaccompanied by adult relatives. Thanks to this detail, it will be much easier for drivers to notice a child crossing a road in the dark, which is very relevant in winter, as well as in cloudy and foggy weather.
So different fireflies
It is wonderful if the luminous elements are present on the newly purchased clothing, but if there are none on it, then it is quite possible to purchase and sew them yourself. The color scheme and design, representing a modern reflective element, are very diverse. Sewn on the child’s outerwear, they not only do not spoil its appearance, but also significantly improve it. Flickers are considered especially fashionable and on the wave of great popularity . These are badges and stickers glowing in the dark with various funny pictures that children really like.
Flickers easily stick to clothes and delight the eye with its variety of shapes and colors. You can also sew reflective tape on your child’s clothes. All this is necessary for children even in the summer, especially in the evening on low-lit carriageways. Needless to say, reflective elements for children can significantly reduce child injuries on the road.
Improving statistics and foreign experience
Given the foregoing, it is legitimate to conclude that the changes made to the traffic regulations should improve the situation on the roads. Reflective elements are designed to make pedestrians more visible on the road and on a cloudy day and at night. In solving this problem, modern technologies are involved, with the help of which reflective elements are produced. On the road, a person is in motion, and therefore the light from the headlights illuminates him from different angles. The special composition of the reflective element reflects the rays in the opposite direction, which creates the effect of a bright and slightly iridescent radiance.
Today, the heads of enterprises in our country, whose employees have to return home on unlit carriageways due to the work schedule, are charged with the obligation to take measures to provide staff with reflective bracelets. For example, abroad, retro-reflective elements for pedestrians have long been considered habitual and obligatory parts to ensure the safety of both children and adults. And the largest and most famous clothing companies for children without fail produce new models with reflective elements.
An unusual lesson for students
Not so long ago, an unusual lesson was held in one of the Belgorod gymnasiums. Pupils of 4 classes were visited by traffic police inspectors. The guests invited the children to make reflective elements for pedestrians with them. Inspectors told fourth graders that such details on clothing make pedestrians visible on the road even in the dark. The guests brought a reflective film with them and allowed the children to cut any flickers themselves according to their own taste.
The guys were unusually carried away by this occupation, they especially liked the fact that the film is self-adhesive and can be easily attached to outerwear. Inspectors actively helped students, had fun talking and giving advice. Children with great pleasure combined colors and came up with forms for flickers. Girls preferred hearts and flowers, and boys preferred cheerful emoticons. But both those and others really liked to make reflective elements with their own hands.
More such activities
The finished work at the end of the lesson adorned the school bags of the kids. And some still went home empty-handed, receiving gift slippers for bicycles and stickers on prams for younger children in their families. This regional center has been actively promoting reflective elements for several years. And at this time, primary school students in the city are provided with reflective dressings.
There are not too many flickers: let there be as many of them on the child. Because in the most hazardous areas, which also include intersections, the property of a retro-reflector will make the small pedestrian noticeable for drivers moving in the same direction and in the opposite direction.
Reflective tape
This item is sewn onto the sleeves of jackets and other outerwear in the form of armbands. When choosing places for their location, it is necessary to take into account that in addition to aesthetic visual perception, they do not overlap with the movement of the child. Most often, the tape is worn in the form of vertical and horizontal stripes, both on the right and on the left. In addition, with a sufficient amount of it, luminous stripes can be sewn along all available edges of clothing.
Fantasy for every taste
In addition to the above, reflective tape can be attached:
- On hats.
- Along the lower outer edges of the trousers.
- On gloves and mittens.
- On the back of outerwear and its other parts.
Fasten flickers
Reflective flicker element is a great funny sticker in the form of an emoticon with a funny face or in the form of any other funny character. Children love these stickers, everyone chooses to his liking to decorate a briefcase or school backpack. Fans of cycling glue the flicker on the helmet, as well as on the frame and on both sides between the spokes of the bicycle. In addition, flickers adorn belts, sleeves and vests.
Even noticing the reflector in the distance, the driver tries to reduce the speed in advance in order to slow down or even stop if necessary, letting the pedestrian pass by the “shining” sticker or stripes. And some lovers decorate their clothes by gluing reflective tape in the form of a decorative pattern or graphic pattern. By the way, most reflective elements are glued to clothes with an iron, imposing an adhesive base on clothes and slightly ironing with a device warmed up to medium temperature.
A little about the technology of production of reflective film
Compared with the manufacture of ordinary self-adhesive film, the process of manufacturing a reflective sheet is much more complicated. For the manufacture of a reflector, a completely cast transparent film is needed. The effect of light reflection is achieved due to the fact that the transparent polymer layer contains optical elements, which include microprisms or the smallest glass balls.
Further, a vacuum chamber enters the process, inside of which a layer of the thinnest aluminum foil is applied to the back side of the web charged with optical elements. After the whole procedure, an adhesive layer is applied to the film and covered with a protective silicone substrate.
Today, the use of retro-reflective elements, originally conceived and created for visibility in the dark, road signs, also works for the benefit of pedestrians, which will save even more human lives.