Fines and warnings. Police check the wearing of reflective elements

Dozens of police officers in the Hradec Králové region are heading to the roads these days before dawn. They warn and, as a last resort, penalize pedestrians and drivers who do not comply with the essential rule for road traffic. That is, it must be sufficiently visible.

In the Hradec Králové region, police control all autumn. They focus on pedestrians and cyclists to have reflective vest elements. These can save lives, with reflective elements people can be seen at 200 meters. According to BESIP, this is the distance to which the driver can safely react.

You only see 55 meters in white clothing, 37 in yellow, and 18 in blue. You are almost invisible in black.

It was the dark clothes that the pedestrians had paid for on Sunday evening behind Jaromer when her driver was knocked down. The woman suffered very serious injuries.

Action "Safer in Traffic" Held in Sracinac

Organized by the Municipality of Sračinec and with the cooperation of the Varazdin Police Station, on Thursday evening in Sračinac an action "Safer in Traffic" was held to encourage local municipalities to use legally prescribed safety equipment when traveling on roads.

"We carry out this action primarily for the safety of road users, pedestrians, and cyclists. Our municipality is one of the most densely populated municipalities in Croatia, with more than 400 inhabitants per square kilometer, and one of the busiest state roads passes through Sračinec. That is why we want to prevent accidents, which sometimes end tragically, by educating our fellow citizens. Last year we had a fatal accident at a marked and illuminated pedestrian crossing, but due to reduced visibility, the driver did not stop in time. That’s why today, we share these reflective vests and straps and encourage pedestrians and cyclists to wear them, for our safety. Thank you to the Varazdin Police Directorate for initiating this action through the Prevention Committee." said the mayor of Sračinec municipality Bozidar Novoselic.

A significant contribution to this action was made by the employees of PP Varaždin, who stopped cyclists and explained the importance of being visible in the evening and conditions of reduced visibility.

About 60 vests and 60 reflective tapes, which were purchased by the Municipality of Sračinec, were distributed. In addition to the Mayor of Novoselic and the staff of the Varaždin Police Station, Deputy Mayor Krunoslav Lukačić and the newly elected Mayor of the Municipal Council Domagoj Bacani participated in the action.

Life Jacket Program Optimizes Water Safety

As Valley temperatures begin to rise, so does the number of visitors to the Stanislaus River. And while the setting is beautiful it can also be dangerous.

"My really firm statement is cold, swift, water needs to be respected," Knights Ferry Recreation Park Manager with the Army Corps of Engineers, Heather Wright shared.

Maintaining river safety, as well as educating visitors about the water is something Wright and her team take seriously. As someone who enjoyed the river herself in her youth, Wright feels it's important for people to understand this is not the same river of 30 years ago.

"This is a boating river, it's not a swimming river," she said. "It's not like it used to be before the dam was built. This is a dynamic changing organism. This is not a lake."

There have already been rescues on the river this season; a kayaker also reported seeing a person in the river near Knights Ferry on Monday morning. A search with boats, drones and a helicopter did not result in rescuers finding anyone; crews returned to the area on Tuesday morning with three boats to search from Knights Ferry to Orange Blossom but no additional information was available by press time.

As a boating river, Wright reminds everyone that it is a law for children 12 years and younger to have a life jacket on at all times. While this may be viewed as a law only necessary when on the water, the Park Manager shared it’s equally important when alongside the river.

"For people who don’t swim it's unthinkable to be near the water without a life jacket," she said. "You don't know when you're going to see something that scares you, is a concern to you or another person in your party or family and you react without thinking and then you’re a victim also."

Fortunately for those unprepared, the park has a Life Jacket Loaner Program in place to help curtail/eliminate accidents and risks of the unprepared being unsafe. Life Jacket Loaner Stations are located at Knights Ferry, Orange Blossom and McHenry Avenue Recreation Areas.

"Anybody can take them and use them," Wright said of the vests. "It is our will and desire that they return them."

If used for water floating, safety vests may be returned at any of the noted stations; the park team sees that the stations are properly equipped to accommodate visitors. Wright also cautions that pool toys, inner tubes and the like are not proper river vessels. Visitors should only use Coast Guard-approved life jackets and vessels such as kayaks and rafts.

With a wet winter and a lot of snowpacks still to come, the river veteran noted that while 300 cubic feet per second is ideal, the 2019 flow will be well above this on any given day. Water enthusiasts should check the flow before arriving to properly prepare, as well as evaluate if they're properly equipped. Area rafting companies play a great part in keeping rafters safe, as well as educated throughout the high water season.

"Wearing a life jacket is the only preventative thing offered currently," Wright said. "Recognize it’s a river, it’s dynamic and changing all the time. Currently, there is an extreme amount of water."

Just like the ocean, the river has dynamic changes which cannot be predicted on an hour to hour basis. Water safety is the only wise preventative visitors may utilize to prevent becoming another river statistic. Life vests worn along the shore are equally important.

"The thing I would want people to know is it's cold, swift water and it needs to be respected, please respect it and do everything you can," Wright said of the river. "If you're going to go in, you need to be able to self-rescue. And if you can’t you have no business being on the water. I care about this place and these people. It matters to me."

24,000 sanitation workers in Hyderabad suffer sans safety gear

As many as 24,000 sanitation workers in Greater Hyderabad limits are living in fear of Covid infection as the Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation (GHMC) has not provided safety kits to them till date. Waking up to the spread of the deadly virus, though the civic body has decided to provide safety gear to all its sanitation workers by inviting tenders, the process would take at least one more month and till then the laborers will have to continue their daily works by wearing temporary masks.

It has to be mentioned here that to ensure the safety of sanitation workers, the civic body has to provide them kits containing at least 10 items like face masks, sanitizers, jackets, gloves, caps, towels, raincoats, coconut oil, soaps, and shoes.

According to information, the civic body has only been able to provide masks and jackets with reflective stickers as of now though the sanitation workers have been demanding GHMC to provide fully-equipped safety kits.

GHMC officials told Express that the proposal for procuring safety equipment has been okayed and they are in the process of inviting the tenders. However, it would take at least one more month to get the required number of safety kits, the officials added.

Speaking to Express, the GHMC union leaders said that there are over 24,000 sanitation workers in the city and that they are at the highest risk of getting infected.

They are indulged in all sorts of ground-level works like the collection of garbage from households for the safety of the denizens. However, the civic body has not taken proper measures to ensure their safety. If any worker gets infected by Covid, then the civic body will be directly responsible for it. Sanitation workers are some of the most vulnerable laborers as they are exposed to serious occupational, environmental and health hazards, the union leaders noted.

As per the Solid Waste Management Rules of 2016, notified by the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change, local authorities have to ensure that all laborers handling solid wastes are provided with safety gear such as face masks, hand gloves, fluorescent jacket with reflective tape, raincoats, footwear, and others.

Meanwhile, in a bid to curb the spread of Covid and also to contain it, the GHMC has started spraying Sodium hypochlorite, a disinfecting agent, in the houses of those persons who were tested positive.

Sodium hypochlorite is a broad-spectrum disinfectant that is effective for the disinfection of viruses and bacteria. GHMC officials said that they will disinfect the houses of all people who were tested positive for Covid and also the suspected ones. We will also carry out the same process in their surroundings. In one liter of water we mix five to 7.5 ml of Sodium hypochlorite for spraying, officials added.

Officials remind trick-or-treaters to have fun, stay safe

With Halloween only a few days away, families across eastern North Carolina are preparing for a night of trick-or-treating.

Jacksonville Commons resident Frank Pope says his family does a lot for Halloween each year.

"We try and put on a show for the kids," he explains. "A theatrical thing for the neighborhood."

He says his garage is decorated will all sorts of haunted props, but safety is always a top priority.

"There's always a lot of traffic, and the kids are distracted," he says. "We tell them to wrap in reflective tape."

The Jacksonville Police Department has a list of recommendations for how to a safe and happy Halloween. The advise trick-or-treaters to do the following:

Wear light-colored clothing - short enough to prevent tripping,

Parents can add reflectors to costumes and clothing,

Ensure that young children can see well through facemasks,

Accompany young children on Halloween activities,

Bring a flashlight or add reflective tape to costumes,

Stay within the neighborhood and only visit homes you know,

Watch carefully for traffic,

Only give or accept wrapped or packaged candy,

Examine "treats" before allowing children to enjoy them,

Golf carts are not allowed on city streets and sidewalks.

The department asks that Jacksonville residents only be out between 5:00 p.m. and 8:30 p.m. on Thursday.

As for Pope, he invites all trick-or-treaters to his home on Chastain Street to check out his Halloween display.

"We arrange the little kids," he says, "but can also scare the older ones."

SKIERS SHARE THEIR SPORT WITH THE BLIND

When a friend offered a day of skiing at a discounted rate, Woodstock resident Beth Zange jumped at the chance. Little did she know the outing would influence her life for years to come.

An avid skier, Zange was excited for the opportunity to get a deal for a day on the slopes. The only catch was that her friend was a guide with the American Blind Skiing Federation, and the day was an outing for the group.

Admittedly, her first impression was that this was a bizarre combination. But after a go-round on the ski lift, she quickly changed her mind.

"From the chair lift I saw a skier and a guide in action in beautiful unison," Zange said, "and I was hooked."

She joined the association and trained to be a guide.

According to its website, ABSF was founded in 1971 and is a nonprofit, tax-exempt (501)(c)3 national organization chartered in the state of Illinois. The purpose of the organization is to provide an educational skiing program that is open to any blind or visually impaired person in the hope of providing both physical and psychological therapeutic value.

In a world where "a picture is worth a thousand words," it’s easy to understand the barriers that confront the blind and visually impaired who can see no pictures.

Each year at the beginning of the ski season, the association offers a training clinic for new guides and recertification of existing guides. Candidates train with veteran guides in a classroom before moving out to the slopes to apply what they learned.

Each pairing begins with a brief question-and-answer session to discuss the skier’s experience and visual status. Then, outfitted with bright-orange vests with reflective tape identifying guides and skiers, the pairs head for the hills.

The guides adjust their positioning depending on how experienced skiers are and how much they can see, but safety always comes first. Verbal communication is the primary form of direction with guides calling out turns and positions.

Zange said guides also help skiers to navigate the ski lodge and the lunch stop for the day. She noted that getting skiers on the chairlift is one of the most challenging elements.

"We work one-on-one with the skiers," Zange said. "Sometimes they want to improve, and some just want to get down the hill."

She participated in a weekend outing at Alpine Valley in late February. Saturday was a regular day with association members, but Sunday was spent with kids from Lighthouse for the Blind.

"I was paired up with a 17-year-old girl who had some visual impairment and mild cerebral palsy on her left side," Zange said. "Working with this girl and another instructor was one of the absolute coolest things I've ever done."

"Watching her progress was amazing. By the end of the day, she wanted the bigger bunny hill."

In addition to the local ski outings, ABSF plans a week at a resort out West each year. Last week they enjoyed skiing in Lake Tahoe.

After her first season of guiding, Zange was recruited to be on the board of directors and serve as secretary. Over the years, she has also served as vice president and continues to be heavily involved in fundraising.

"This is an amazing community," said Zange. "I will always be involved."

She suggested that volunteers are welcome and anyone can help. This year’s fundraiser will be a luau pig roast to be held on June 27 in Des Plaines.

PORD launches educational programs for schools. You can win training and reflective sets

The Pomeranian Road Traffic Center in Gdańsk launches new educational programs addressed to schools. Students will have the opportunity to receive a set of reflective materials or will be invited to a training course at the Driving Techniques Improvement Center Autodrom Pomorze in Pszczółki. The goal of both programs is to promote road safety.

Educational programs with which the Pomeranian Road Traffic Center starts are addressed to primary and above-primary schools. It's a reflective school and a young driver.

"The projects promote road safety among primary and secondary school students," says Angelika Ślusarczyk, Senior Marketing Clerk at PORD in Gdańsk. "Younger action is to encourage people to wear reflective vests, older ones to ride safely. There are also different prizes for these two groups of participants."

"For the top 10 primary schools, the prize is a set consisting of 50 reflective vests, 100 reflective bands or tags, and educational charts. Students from 10 secondary schools will be invited to a free training course that will take place at ODTJ."

Reflective school - the program for primary schools

To become a participant, it is enough for the school to take part in the competition. The prize for the 10 best institutions is a set consisting of 50 reflective vests, 100 bands or reflective tags and educational charts.

"Show creatively why it is worth taking care of your safety on the road," adds Angelika. "Each school can send only one entry to the competition. The competition task must be prepared by the students of the school submitting under the supervision of their teachers."

Cows (not) safe on the road

It is getting darker in autumn. Some farmers still keep cattle on pastures, sometimes a few hundred meters away from the farm. Spending the herd on buildings can mean traveling on roads where the cattle are hardly visible. How to deal with such a problem?

Local authorities in northern China encourage breeders to attach reflective tapes to their animals to avoid road accidents involving them after dark.

Regional road services already in August started an information campaign combined with the distribution of free reflective tapes for farmers living in the vicinity of tourist routes and the largest cities in five prefectures.

The tapes were made of PVC and shiny crystals. The product is very durable, resistant to wear and low temperatures.

Cattle carrying tapes on their limbs are visible from a distance of about 200 meters. This distance allows drivers to react properly, according to local road services.

In the northern part of China, more and more roads are being created that intersect the vast pasture lands. Breeders keep not only cows on them but also horses and other animals. Herds invisible in the evenings pose a significant threat to the road.

Numbers don't bode well. Since 2015, over 1,500 road accidents involving livestock have been recorded in the region. Of these, 78% took place after dark.

In one extremely extreme case, 12 people were killed and 28 were injured when the driver of a vehicle carrying people tried to bypass a horse on the road.

According to local services, since the information campaign began and breeders use reflective tapes, the number of accidents on the road involving livestock has decreased by over 50% compared to last year. The police hope the decline will be steady and plan to expand to other regions in the future.

Polish breeders can take the example of an action carried out in China. Although animal accidents do not happen on such a scale with us, it is worth considering how to improve the visibility of the herd on the road, even if it is only a rural road.

Cargill Makes Safety a Priority, Offers Free Safety Vests to Farmers

According to the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH), approximately 100 injuries happen to agricultural workers each day resulting in lost work time, piles of paperwork and unfortunately, sometimes even death.

To help reduce the number of injuries occurring on the farm, Cargill is helping dairy farmers prevent accidents and save lives by giving away free safety vests through their new Be Safe. Be Seen. campaign. From March 1 through April 15 dairies can claim up to 3 safety vests, in various sizes including kids.

"Every year we hear about tragic accidents on dairies that might have been preventable if the person had been more visible. Unfortunately, we heard about one of those accidents at the very start of 2020," says Julie Abrahamson, Cargill North America Commercial Director, Dairy. "At Cargill, getting everyone home safely to their loved ones at the end of the day is our number one priority. We want to help instill that same commitment to safety across our industry by encouraging people to be safe by being seen."

In 2017, 416 farmers and farm workers died from a work-related injury. Those farms and families will never be the same. As dairies across the country begin to prepare for the busy spring season, being highly visible will be critical to safety.

"The National Dairy FARM Program is proud to support Cargill's Be Safe. Be Seen. initiative. FARM's safety focus through the Workforce Development program area aims to provide tangible and meaningful value to dairy farm safety and this partnership is the first of many critical steps to do just that." says Emily Yeiser Stepp, Senior Director, The National Dairy FARM Program.

Pedestrian safety campaign launches in Kamloops following multiple incidents

After multiple incidents in the last couple of months involving pedestrians hit by vehicles, shelves, Kamloops Fire Rescue (KFR) and affiliated agencies are teaming up for an awareness campaign.

The goal of the campaign is to get people to be more careful, plan better and take preventative measures, says Kamloops RCMP Cpl. Jodi Shelkie.

"At this time, we did have a concerted effort with the City of Kamloops and KFR to come together because of recent accidents involving both pedestrians and vehicles," she says. "This is the time of year when it's getting the darkest of the earliest; we've found most pedestrian and vehicle accidents happen between 4 p.m. and 6 p.m."

Asst. Fire Chief Robb Scholar says "too many" pedestrians are being hit.

"I mean that seriously. One pedestrian struck is one too many," he says.

Recent incidents include one fatality (TRU staff member Lucy Phua), one hit-and-run with a teen and another incident that sent an 18-year-old woman to the hospital.

Shelkie says responsibility for pedestrian safety lies with both drivers and pedestrians. Drivers need to be aware, at all times, a pedestrian may appear, and be extra cautious around intersections. Pedestrians, meanwhile, need to cross at crosswalks and take preventative measures.

"Maybe they haven't dressed taking into account it's going to be dark when they're walking home," she says. "(They should ask themselves), 'At the end of the day, when I'm going home, do I have the clothes that are going to be the best suited for me to walk home in the dark?'"

Put a little thought earlier in your day (like packing reflective vests), and it could save you on the walk home, she adds.

Today (Dec. 10), KFR, local RCMP, city bylaw and volunteers took these messages to the street, setting up at the Capital Center Tournament (TCC). They spoke to pedestrians, tracked vehicle speeds along the road between Hillside Stadium and the TCC.

"We have heard from the TCC that people are driving at a faster speed than the 20 mph speed limit," Shelkie says. "The TCC is a place where families and children come a lot and children may be darting out of vehicles or crossing the street, not in a crosswalk."

Shelkie says future events are planned for similar parts of the city, where pedestrians and vehicles are nearby.

Runner's Notes: Safety reminders

By all accounts, the six members of the Oklahoma High School track team who were tragically hit by a truck last week did all the right things. They were running in a group, against traffic, on the sidewalk. And, yet, an (allegedly) drunk driver still careened up on the sidewalk and hit them, apparently killing two of the students and leaving four more in critical condition.

While it may be true that some tragedies cannot be foreseen or prevented, others maybe if you follow a few running safety rules:

Be seen. This may be the most important thing you can do to protect yourself. Wear bright clothes and know that a few reflective strips or piping on your jacket / running clothes always go to cut it when running in low-light (dusk/dawn / rain/fog) or in the dark. Invest in a reflective vest or, better yet, an entire reflective jacket with reflective fabric and/or a blinky light and/or anything else that will help drivers notice you. You often overdo it, especially when drivers today are often distracted by cell phones and such. Along those lines...

Run defensively. "Zone out" when you run. You need to pay attention, keep an eye on traffic, look both ways before crossing, and always assume that drivers A.) see you, B.) are going to stop for you / obey pedestrian laws.

If stopped at an intersection with a stopped car, never cross without making eye contact with the driver. A driver settles for a wave from the passenger or a glance from the driver. Wait for full eye contact so you are sure they see you and talk about who is going to go first.

Drones out environmental noise. When I run solo, love to listen to music, but learned to keep it low and, lately, started just putting it on the speaker on my phone (provided you also going to disturb others). A few other options: Switch to podcasts, which let you hear more of what's going on around you, or use just one earbud.

Run in a group / with a partner. This is always practical and I know that some people prefer to run alone. But there is safety in numbers. Even a dog will provide an extra layer of protection.

Carry ID. If something should happen to you (accidental or medical emergency), those who help you will need to know who you are. Make it a habit to carry ID (tuck it in your phone, etc.) and when you enter a race, ALWAYS put your personal information (name address, who to contact in case of emergency, etc.) on the back of your bib.

Trust your instincts. If someone is making you feel weird or you get a bad vibe about a certain part of your route at any moment, heed that warning and adjust accordingly. I believe wholeheartedly in gut instinct helping to avoid tragedy.

Run against traffic. Always run facing traffic, with one important exception - when you are on a blind curve or hill where motorists might come upon you suddenly and be surprised to find you there. You know where these places are, use your common sense to keep yourself out of trouble. There are times considered OK to cross, just be sure to cross back when the road flattens or straightens back out.

Avoid rush hour. I know as runners we feel our God-given right to run anywhere we want at any time, but not wise to minimize the danger by avoiding heavily trafficked areas at certain times of the day. Case in point: I love to run in Knowledge Park, a business park, near Penn State Behrend. I do, however, try to avoid running there during rush hours in the morning and after work. Can I run there? Sure. Is it my right to run there? Sure. Do I technically have the right of way? Yep. Is it worth angering / surprisingly a whole lot of motorists to check my point? Nope. And, again, along those lines...

Fight with a car. Resist the urge to yell, gesture, or otherwise fight with a person driving a 2,000-pound lethal weapon. I have been there. Believe me. Done it. And, regretted it every single time. It just isn't worth it.