Only a few days remain until the amendment to the Road Act comes into force. Among other things, it will require pedestrians to wear reflective vests when visibility is reduced. What are the best? Where to find them? How to wear them?
The amendment to the Road Act will come into force when it is officially published in the Collection of Laws. This will be about mid-February. Especially pedestrians, and especially rural ones, should prepare for the novelty. The law will now require them to wear reflective elements to be visible to the driver.
The first thing to note is that the headlamp or flashlight does not replace the reflective elements - paradoxically, although it is much easier for a pedestrian to see it. "Various light sources are also a good option, but the law stipulates that it should be a reflective element that reflects. So the law does not speak about the flashlight or headlamp. It is just a reflex element. but it is good to combine it with some reflective element because otherwise, the driver can mistake a pedestrian with a cyclist or biker, "explained Petr Vomáček from the Central Automotoclub.
So what can the reflective elements look like? "They are reflective tapes, stickers, or there are also patches. Reflective bags with reflective fabric for the elderly are also being considered. So it is simply something that reflects more light than ordinary classic clothing," said TN.cz Vomáčka.
The minimum reflective surface is not stipulated by law, but it is recommended to have at least a reflective tape that the pedestrian attaches to his hand or to wear more reflective patches. Watch out for the dark ones. "We recommend either white, yellow, red, green, but not darker," said Petr Vomáčka from ÚAMK.
According to him, it is also important to place a reflector or reflective stripe: "If you place such a reflective element or stripe on the body, it is good to do so that it is visible to the driver - such as put it sideways towards the road, not the other way. It is recommended to place the strip on the forearm or around the wrist and then also somewhere near the ankles or simply on the lower part of the foot. We recommend having more reflective elements - on the leg, on the hand or the backpack. Always better than less."
And where to buy reflective elements? They can be found in almost every supermarket, tobacconist, home goods store, drugstore, post office or gas station. It is also important that the obligation to wear reflective elements does not only apply in the dark but in reduced visibility in general, including darkness, fog, heavy snowfall and the like.
Also, warnings about too cheap reflective vests are useful. "In some cases, it has been shown that some reflective vests have reduced reflectance against a standard that sets it. This is EN 471, which determines the width of the reflective surface and the reflectance of a material. We recommend that the customer check whether the EN 471 standard is marked on the sign, "advises Petr Vomáčka from ÚAMK.
More news in the law
The amendment also obliges motorists to clean their vehicles from ice and snow if they prevent them from seeing or could endanger the safety of other road users. It will also allow the police to withhold a small technical license for car owners who detect a dangerous defect when checking or clarifying a traffic accident.
The law will also allow driving licenses to be withdrawn for half a year for those crossing the railway crossing at the time of signaling the arrival of the train. The fine for such an offense has not yet increased, but in the future, it is considered to increase from 5,000 crowns to five times.
As regards the obligation of reflective elements for pedestrians, like waistcoats or just sleeves, Transport Minister Dan Ťok said that a fine of up to two thousand will be imposed for its violation. But the minister also said that the ministry has an agreement with the police to distribute rather reflective tapes to people so far.
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