Since the beginning of October, police have seen five tragic accidents in which a pedestrian died after a collision with a car. They occurred in poor visibility either early in the morning or early evening. Even though pedestrians have been obliged to wear reflective elements since last year, they have not yet got used to it.
Morning fog and early dark. In the autumn months, the number of accidents is increasing due to the prolonged visibility period. In South Moravia, there have been two in recent days. 15th October in the Kroměříž region and 9th October in the Břeclav region. In the first one ended up a pedestrian with serious injuries in the hospital, in the second he died on the spot.
This year, a total of five pedestrians died in the Czech Republic after a guard with a car, eighteen in the past month and twenty in 2015. "Pedestrians should realize that early in the morning, when they go to work, it is still dark and they must wear reflective vests," said Vyskov police spokeswoman Alice Musilova.
Fine up to two and a half thousand
The police set out early in the morning and alerted pedestrians to the danger. "I usually go only when there is light, but now it is not, that is true," said one of the pedestrians, who was immediately equipped with reflective tape.
Wearing a reflective element when a pedestrian walks outside the village, not only in the dark, but even when it gets dawn or dark, and there is no pavement or street lighting along the way, has been mandatory for over a year and a half. "Reflective materials are already beautifully visible at two hundred meters and the driver can react to it even at a speed of 90 km," explained Pavel Cizek from BESIP.
Since the end of February 2016, pedestrians have to wear reflective items such as sleeve straps or waistcoats in low visibility clothing. The regulation applies to people moving on the roadside in unlit areas of the municipality or outside the development. Part of the amendment to the Road Traffic Act is primarily to increase pedestrian safety.
If pedestrians are not marked with reflective material elements in the dark, fog or dusk on the road, they face a fine of up to two thousand fines in block proceedings. In administrative proceedings, penalties range from CZK 1,500 to 2,500.
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