The government has approved important changes in traffic rules - reflective vests should be in every car

Important changes in the Rules of the road - the government approved amendments that oblige drivers to wear reflective jackets or reflective vests with reflective tapes. We are talking about situations where a person leaves the car outside a settlement in the dark or in conditions of poor visibility. According to experts, this rule will save the lives of many people.

A typical situation is a night, an unlit trail, a car with a flashing emergency light on the side of the road. Under the new rules, in such a case, the driver, before climbing under the hood or behind the spare wheel in the trunk, should throw a reflective vest with bright reflective inserts.

"It's not scary that a person glows like a tree, on the contrary, it's good, his driver will notice not 100 meters, but 100, 200, or even 300 meters and he will have time to get ready. In any case, this will not be a surprise - the appearance of a black shadow running like this in a black jacket, in black jeans, and in a black hat," automotive journalist Igor Morzharetto comments on amendments to the traffic rules.

Innovation is not without reason. According to traffic police statistics, in the first six months of 2017, 66 drivers fell under the wheels of cars in the dark of the day, they were simply not visible. Moreover, in comparison with the statistics of 2016 more affected. And yet among the motorists about the vests so far no agreement.

"I was driving along the bridge like that — they also shot down a woman in a vest. She also cleaned him in his vest, and also shot him down, and what's the difference?" Says the driver in Voronezh.

"Drivers of some kind go, who fall asleep at the wheel and see nothing around. You go out dark and you are not visible, and you are bright in a green vest," says Olga Nechaeva from Moscow.

"The vest is not so expensive, it doesn't take up much space in the trunk, just in case," says Alexey Shmuley from Saratov.

The traffic police claim that since pedestrians were obliged to attach reflective materials to outerwear, the number of night raids has decreased by 10%. The numbers are confirmed by dozens of experiments. Here is one of them. At first, at a distance of three hundred meters in pitch darkness, only three equipped runners are visible. The same - at a distance of 150 meters. At 75 meters from the headlights, vague shadows of several more people appear. And only 10 meters from the hood it turns out that there are seven pedestrians on the road.

"I almost shot down the whole family. The child actually saved them, because visibility was nil, and suddenly the child jumped out, and in the light of the headlights, this thing flashed on his sleeve. I reacted to them, turned the steering wheel," says the driver Alexander Ponomarev.

Vests probably already have the Russians, who regularly drive personal cars in Europe. In Italy, Spain, Austria, Portugal - everywhere reflective capes in the compulsory set of motorists. Moreover, in most European countries it is necessary to wear them night and day.

"I think it's late in the morning, I should have had a little before. All of Europe goes to them. We, like Belarus, are driving into Poland, that's all, the vests have gone, you won't get out without it day or night," says a truck driver from Nalchik.

For example, in Portugal the penalty for the absence of a vest is up to 300 euros; for not putting on the track - up to 600 euros, in Spain up to 140 euros, in Italy - about a hundred euros. In Germany, the penalty for the lack of a vest is only 15 euros, but almost everyone still has a cape.

"We immediately see that there is a danger zone here. Cars go slower, pay attention to him. So the vest is needed for its own safety, and for the safety of other drivers. I can only recommend it, " says Berliner Reinhard Biskup.

And although the rules oblige the Germans to carry only one vest with them, some prudent drivers buy a vest for each passenger as well - it's safer.

The price of the vest is trivial, from one hundred rubles. Against the background of innovations, prices have not yet managed to take off. Where to store the vest, under the seat, in the glove compartment or trunk, the government decree does not specify. Not prescribed and the penalty for the absence of reflective equipment. However, the new norm comes into force only after three months, so there is still time to eliminate the gaps in the law.