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The government has made it mandatory for drivers to wear reflective vests. They must be worn when leaving the vehicle at night or in conditions of poor visibility. The rule applies outside the settlements. That is, if you stop at night on the highway, then, please, throw it on your shoulders.
Decree No. 1524 came into force on March 18, 2018. From this date, drivers must have reflective clothing in the cabin in case of an emergency on the track. Otherwise, violators face a fine of 500 rubles.
GOST requirements: color, vest standards
It doesn’t have to be a vest. A cape vest or jacket is welcome. The main thing is that reflective stripes are present on the clothes in accordance with the rules of GOST 12.4.281-2014 (“Occupational Safety Standards System”). It means that:
- Clothing should wrap around the torso and have sleeves.
- There should be four or three reflective strips – 2 or 1 horizontal and always 2 vertical. Moreover, the vertical ones must pass through the shoulders, and the horizontal ones should grab the sleeves.
- The requirements for the stripes are as follows: the first horizontal strip can be indented 5 cm from the bottom edge of the jacket, and the second – 5 cm from the first.
- As for the color scheme: reflective vests can be yellow, red, light green or orange. Stripes are grey.
- Sew reflective vests from fluorescent polyester. And after repeated washes, the clothes will not change their shape, and the strips will not be erased.
When to wear a vest and when not
According to the traffic police, about fifty drivers die in our country every year, who were hit on the road next to cars. The reason is banal – people simply did not notice. In a reflective vest, the driver will be visible from afar. Accordingly, the risk of an accident will be significantly reduced.
There are conditions when a vest must be worn. Mostly, we are talking about stopping on the side of the road outside the settlement at night – from the end of the evening twilight to the beginning of the morning twilight. Also, the vest should be used in fog, snowfall, heavy rain. That is, when the visibility of the road is less than 300 meters. And in case of an accident. If you, God forbid, have an accident, you can only get out of the car in reflective clothing.
In other cases, a vest is not required. But you need to carry it in the car. But what if?
Where to buy a reflective vest
You can buy a reflective vest either in automotive stores or in workwear stores. The average cost is 250-300 rubles.
By the way, check the labels on the vests when buying. The GOST number must be written on them. In this case, it is 12.4.281-2014.
How about abroad?
In European countries, such a law has been in force for a long time – in Estonia, Italy, Germany, Portugal, Austria, Bulgaria. There are hefty fines for breaking the rules. In Austria, for example, up to 2180 euros. This is more than 150 thousand rubles. In Belgium, the police issue a fine of almost 95 thousand rubles. In Portugal – 600 euros (41 thousand rubles), in Bulgaria you will have to pay about 2 thousand rubles.
By the way, in Europe, vests must be worn not only by those who drive the car, but by passengers who get out of the car. In Our Country, the rules will still affect drivers.