The Light Saving Lives!
One of the most common causes of accidents in Ukraine is low visibility of pedestrians in the dark mode, especially in the autumn-winter period. Mostly, drivers simply cannot see pedestrians at a speed sufficient for successful braking. This problem can be solved with the help of reflective elements on clothes.
The usage of these elements can reduce injuries and deaths on the roads by 6-8 times. Why is this happening? While driving, the driver can see a pedestrian at a distance of 25-30 meters, but if a person wears reflectors, the distance of his visibility will increase to 130-150 meters. With high beam headlights, the driver will see a pedestrian at a distance of 300 to 400 meters.
For a deeper understanding of the problem, you should pay attention to the path that the driver must overcome before a complete stop. The statistics shows that the braking distance of a car at a speed of 60 km / h on a dry road is about 30 meters. At the same time, the driver will see the pedestrian in dark clothes at a distance of 20 meters. At a speed of 80 km / h the car passes 22 meters per second. In 2 seconds pedestrian will have time to walk as much as 44 meters. A person wearing flickers will be visible at a distance of 130 meters. The importance of wearing reflectors becomes even more apparent with the understanding that today most motorists exceed the standard speed of 60 kilometers per minute. In addition, reflective elements can save not only human life; they can make pets more visible on the road.
The European experience of using reflective elements is very revealing. In particular, in Norway, the use of flickers has reduced pedestrian injuries by 85%, more than 6.5 times. No pedestrian has died in Finland in the last few years. That is why in many countries (Finland, Denmark, Sweden, Estonia, and Belarus) wearing of reflective clothing is mandatory.
The norm of mandatory wearing of reflective elements has finally been introduced in Ukraine in 2020. According to the new changes to the Rules of the Road, pedestrians in the dark and in poor visibility must use reflective elements (tape, sticker, vest, etc.) or clothing must be with such reflective elements. The fine for non-compliance with this requirement is currently UAH 51. However, a bill has already been submitted to the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine, which provides for an increase in the fine for this violation to UAH 255.
The International Charitable Foundation is convinced that it is not difficult to comply with the new requirement and protect oneself on the road. Today, there is a large selection of inexpensive reflective ribbons, flickers, bracelets, pendants, stickers, etc., which will help to complement the image and make it not only visible in the dark, but also fashionable. One of the widest assortment of high-quality reflectors is in the online store https://bdr.in.ua, which has the most product lines related to road safety.
The International Charitable Foundation is convinced that it is not difficult to comply with the new requirement and protect oneself on the road. Today, there is a large selection of inexpensive reflective ribbons, flickers, bracelets, pendants, stickers, etc., which will help to complement the image and make it not only visible in the dark, but also fashionable. One of the widest assortment of high-quality reflectors is in the online store https://bdr.in.ua, which has the most product lines related to road safety.
Many clothing and footwear manufacturers, adhering to the new standards, are increasingly sewing reflective elements in their models. The International Charitable Foundation fully supports the creation of such clothing and its promotion. In cooperation with the Public Union National Sectoral Partnership in Light Industry of Ukraine Fashion Globus Ukraine, the Foundation supports the holding of an annual competition among schools of Ukraine for the clothes’ development design with reflective elements.
To promote the reflective elements wearing, the Foundation always put this topic in the framework of work with children and youth, during social events and actions. A separate location of our new educational event for children is “Safety Weekend” which contains of materials with the rules of wearing reflectors by different groups of road users.
It is important for us that schoolchildren in the country are provided with flickers as much as possible, know how and do not forget to use them. Relevant negotiations are already underway with the Ministry of Education and Science of Ukraine.
Proven efficiency of using reflection is not only in clothing, but also in infrastructure elements. High-quality visualization of road signs, pedestrian crossings, public transport stops and the transport itself helps to reduce the level of accidents and its consequences. As part of the Safe City project, the International Charitable Foundation plans to develop measures to improve the road network with the involvement of the world’s largest producer of high-quality, durable and environmentally friendly materials that provide the highest efficiency of light reflection and road recognition.
