Children
They're already doing it in Grimsby (Somerset, England) - donning high visibility safety vests going to and from school. Holly, Theo and Billy Joe think the initiative is "a good idea." It may not be high fashion but a garment to make school pupils visible is aiming to reduce road accidents."I think the visibility coats are a good idea because when it's dark and if you're coming home from school people will see you crossing the road and in the fog people will see you. So they're very useful. "And also they keep you warm in the snow," added Theo.
A Gloucestershire headline reads "Gloucestershire road safety figures lowest since 1974," and they're attributing these statistics to the increased use of hi-vis apparel along with "targeted road safety advice and training is working across the board," said Councillor Stan Waddington, cabinet member for road safety. Child safety is a leading issue in the US. - children wear safety helmets while riding bikes, so why not high visibility apparel to boot?
Well, at least at Halloween. The Maryland State Highway Administration made reflective safety vests available to parents and guardians of children to help prevent pedestrian accidents involving vehicles on Halloween, according to a news release from the agency (see "Reflective safety vests available for Halloween"). Representative Neil J. Pedersen said, “Unfortunately, on average, about 100 pedestrians are killed every year in traffic crashes in our state.”
Officers
During an inquest of a fatality of an officer in Auckland, the court was told that Mr. Wootton was not wearing a reflectorized safety jacket when he went to lay the spikes, most likely because he only had a matter of seconds to act. Although it was not known if a jacket would have changed the outcome for Mr Wootton, reports from the Department of Labour and the Independent Police Conduct Authority both recommended police review the policy for wearing the jackets.
The Department of Labour said it appeared that the requirement for the jackets to be worn was well known, but was not adhered to by all officers, with some saying they felt making themselves more visible might make them a target. However, Mr Smith said he did not believe there should be an option for officers not to wear them. "If an officer cannot safely wear a jacket and have time to deploy the road spikes safely, then they should simply abandon the exercise," he said.
Local councillor Roger Guy told BBC Radio's "Good Morning Scotland" program "the police cannot be everywhere, all the time." He added: "So if people in the communities are genuinely anxious about speeding motorists in their villages, or their neighborhood, then we're calling on them to volunteer." The BBC also reports that when residents of local towns are upset by constant speeding in their area, they should be willing to volunteer to shoot radar "Volunteers in high visibility vests to trap speeders." Chief Inspector John McDonald of Fife Constabulary said "road safety is everyone's concern." He said there had been "absolutely tremendous progress" in reducing road casualties across Fife in the past five years.
HiVis Supply is proud to offer high visibility apparel for a variety of job duties and officers and children around the world. HiVis Supply offers great savings and product selection for helping you maintain a safe and OSHA/ANSI compliant work environment and keeping those closest to you safe throughout the year. If you're looking for discounted safety equipment or identification products on sale, visit our web specials page or sign up for our email promotions.
