Today, statistics on road accidents are growing steadily. A reflective vest will help to make a person more visible at a considerable distance and reduce the risk of traffic accidents.
Description
Vests are made of knitted fabric, one hundred percent polyester, and the width of the reflective strips is usually 5 cm. The vest is equipped with a Velcro fastener that allows you to adjust it to the figure. Manufacturers offer a variety of models, including fairly inexpensive ones. For example, the cost of a children's vest is about 250 rubles. You can buy a more expensive option - a reflective mesh vest, the price for which can exceed 1000 rubles.
Destination
This is a specialized type of clothing used to ensure good visibility of a person on the road at any time of the day, especially if he is wearing dark clothes. In addition to the bright color, special reflective stripes play a big role in this. When a light beam hits such a surface, they always reflect it towards the source. The angle of illumination does not matter and can be absolutely any. Thanks to this human effect, it can be seen at a considerable distance, which helps to avoid accidents.
Traffic police say that a reflective vest can reduce the death of pedestrians on the road by more than 70%. Therefore, they are used in order to protect children, as well as during road works and in production.
Each driver must have a signal vest in the car , which during an unexpected stop will help to identify a person on the road.
Specifications
A reflective vest, like any other signal clothing, is designed to provide good visibility to a person both at night and during daylight hours with a good degree of illumination. Therefore, for sewing, color luminescent material is used, which is visible during the day. The stripes on the vest are made of reflective material, which makes them clearly visible in the dark.
Signal clothing varies in classes, which depend on the area of the luminescent part and reflective. All standards are determined by GOST R 12.4.219-99. Each item must have a pictogram indicating the class and degree of reflection of light.
Reflective tape must be at least 50 mm wide.
Types of vests
Gosstandart provides 2 types of these products:
- Vests, two reflective strips on which are located horizontally, the distance between them is 50 mm or more. In this case, the lower tape is not less than 50 mm from the edge of the garment.
- Vests with one horizontal strip, two parallel vertical ones on the front of the vest and crossed in the form of the letter “X” at the back.
Consumer qualities
Reflective signaling vest has high color fastness, long service life and easy maintenance. All this is achieved thanks to the successful combination of polyester knit and special fluorescent fabric. In addition, manufacturers test these materials for resistance to precipitation, temperature extremes, abrasion and resistance to washing and synthetic detergents. The material can withstand up to 25 washings.
Vest for pedestrians and drivers
A large number of collisions with pedestrians occurs due to the fact that in the dark, the driver often simply cannot notice them on the roadway in time, which means that he does not have time to react and slow down. In many countries, pedestrians who do not have reflective signs on their clothing bear administrative responsibility. For example, in Belarus, being on the street without such elements in the dark entails a fine. In some states, even for every passenger, a vest must be available. Without it, leaving the transport is strictly prohibited.
Reflective vests for drivers are equally important. Like a first aid kit, an emergency sign and a fire extinguisher, it must be present in the car. In case of an emergency stop on the track (to replace the wheel, fix any breakdown or provide assistance), the driver must wear a signal vest. Such a simple measure can significantly reduce the number of deaths on the roads. Reflective vest is a mandatory attribute for the staff of road repair enterprises, motor vehicles and construction and installation. Labor protection considers such equipment as a means of personal protection. Ambulance workers, traffic police, and public utilities are not without them.
Children's vests
For children, such vests are a more effective and reliable means of protection, in comparison with reflective icons, which can not always fulfill their function. The reason for this may be their improper fastening or accidental cover with folds of clothing.
Thanks to the bright vest, on which there is a reflective tape, the child is visible from afar, which makes him more protected. In order to ensure the safety of children on city streets, the traffic police recommends that all educational institutions have such kits for using them when conducting excursions, public events held in open areas, and exits into the city.
When a group leaves the territory of a children's institution, not only children, but also adults accompanying the convoy must be in signal vests. They can be purchased at the store or made to order for both kids and high school students.
Reflective vests for children are made of special water-repellent fabric. Special edge treatment is applied, which increases the product's service life. A reflective strip is sewn onto a children's vest all over its circumference. This allows you to see the child from any angle. An applique on a free theme made of reflective material can decorate a children's vest.
disadvantages
A significant disadvantage of signal vests is that its reflective properties have a short service life. After several mechanical cleanings, the luminous layer begins to break down. In addition, the light of ordinary headlights and fog has a different wavelength, so such a vest can not provide the same reflection.
In order to maintain the performance properties of the vest under varying degrees of illumination and for a long time, slot windows are made on it. They install interchangeable reflective strips with a combined coating. Thanks to this, the reflective vest will last much longer. The price for it in this case will be slightly higher, but the advantages are obvious.