Effective July 1, the reflective vest requirement applies. Drivers of cars, trucks, and buses registered in Germany must have the colorful suit. The vest is also mandatory in many other European countries - but there are also differences. What motorists abroad have to watch out for.
Fashion colors of this summer are a bright yellow, a bright red or a strong orange - and wear these signal colors especially motorists. Because from 1 July it is also valid in this country: the warning waistcoat duty. In doing so, Germany is implementing what is already commonplace in most European countries. What else should you look for when traveling?
The safety vest
Without it will not work: Drivers of cars, trucks or buses registered in Germany must soon have a safety vest with them. Only motorcycles are excluded from this regulation. But who wants to knit a warning vest in any color signal from grandma, is bad advice. The expert organization Dakar explains what a safety vest should look like: it needs 360-degree visibility, reflective tapes at least five centimeters wide and a hook-and-loop fastener. In addition, a fluorescent material in yellow, orange or red is prescribed. According to Dakar, the safety vest should comply with the European Standard EN ISO 20471: 2013; Safety vests with the EN 471 control mark are also permitted, according to ADAC.
"Of course, in an emergency, it is important that the reflective safety vest can be reached quickly from the driver's seat," says Cars ten Dabbler, head of the Dakar branch in Essen, "so it should be kept in the glove compartment, under the seat or in the side compartment of the door - not in the trunk. "Furthermore, it would not be a good idea to hang the vest permanently over the seat, the color could fade. By the way, if you do not carry a safety vest with you, according to the ADAC you face a fine of 15 Euros.