This legislation has generated mixed reactions, both positive and negative among the community, so we consulted some security professionals and instructors driving on this measure.
In previous editions, we tell on compulsory from 1 January 2016 to carry on the vehicles reflective vest, safety element should be used if the driver of a vehicle must lose this in case of an emergency.
Supreme Decree No. 164/2014, amending Decree 22/2006 of the Ministry of Transport, adding the reflective vest to other security elements, such as the triangle, which should behave in all motor vehicles for emergency situations.
Under the new decree, the reflective vest must contain both fluorescent material and retroreflective, and must always behave in a location of the vehicle that is accessible from the interior thereof, so that the driver gets off the vehicle with the vest place.
The move has generated mixed reactions, both positive and negative among the community, so we consulted some security professionals and instructors driving on this measure.
The head of the Division of IST O’Higgins, Jaime Morales, announced that they have already released the regulations, especially with regard to the workplace. He added that the obligation to wear this vest begins from January 1, so in workplace are obliged to disseminate the rules.
Regarding the response of the people, Morales indicated that the labor issue is regulated by businesses because the employer must provide the vest to an institutional vehicle, which must be yellow background more reflective huinchas .
On the cost of the vest, Morales said it is quite small relative to the ratio value of a vehicle versus a vest, which should not exceed 3,000 pesos. “I think people actually will use it, because although the first stage will be a trial run where there will be control, there will be fines. In a moment that has not defined the authority if there will be fines. For us it is fundamental as mutuality reduce the number of collisions with pedestrians that occur in the hours of low light, as the pedestrian when out of the car at the bottom is a pedestrian anymore, “said Morales.
For the director and instructor of driving school, Interlagos Rengo, Jannette Barahona, these regulations have already included in the theoretical discussions to be carried out to pupils, which adds to both their website and facebook have published the issue.
The instructor argued that what they know is that there should be a reflective safety vest, however, what they report is indicating the page driver education because the Ministry of Transport will not get any official instructions. “I think this will be like a seat belt because it will cost people gets used. Going to have to make some parts for people to be made aware and do it, “Barahona said, adding that the idea would make further spread of the matter said.
Barahona believes that using this vest will be very important, because if someone has a mishap on the road and the vehicle must be lowered, there are safety features like the triangle, but if the person does not carry the vest does not have any security.
The situation also concerned the Automobile Club of Chile based in Rancagua, and this is how the instructor driving school, Carlos Donoso said that the purpose of school is to prepare future drivers, so they have already informed about the topic. He added that it is a supreme decree, not a modification to traffic law, which means that according Donoso to be mandatory law should be changed.
It is why we argued that the use of yellow reflective vest, regulated by the decree is a recommendation that is made drivers. “If we analyze the decree good, it is a supreme decree, which will begin to govern with a trial run, and then will begin to monitor as a slight to the law infringement. First there will be an educational function and then will begin to monitor, “Donoso said.
“The use of the vest is a recommendation until the traffic law is not changed, which should be yellow, have two reflective huinchas white, since according to Conaset has killed more than 5,000 people product outrages “said Carlos Donoso.
Regarding the color, this should be yellow with two horizontal white reflective huinchas, which according to the instructor should be used anyway by drivers, because their purpose is not to take unnecessary risks. “Visibility is the main sense in driving, and if we see them logical that it will produce an accident,” said the instructor, who believes that greater dissemination and education campaign on the topic missing, and considers that should consider that drivers take a course to know the rules in order to educate and train drivers.
It is recalled that currently the main cause of accidents in these situations is the lack of visibility of pedestrians, especially in times of low light, so prevention is priority for the authorities. In the past 10 years, Chile has killed more than 6,000 people run over, with only 631 in 2013, so the use of reflective material vital to avoid collisions.
The use of reflective vest allows a person to be visible from more than 150 meters and high beam, up to 400, allowing more reaction time for motorists, which does not happen when no reflective materials are used. In the latter case, a person is only visible to 40 meters, leaving little room for reaction and avoids accidents.