8000 fluorescent vests offered to our young schoolchildren

If wearing the reflective vest gradually enters manners for cyclists, its use is equally beneficial for small pedestrians. On the way to school, wearing such a vest allows a child to be seen 150 meters by a motorist. At the initiative of the mobility service of the city, more than 8,000 schoolchildren will receive Mouscron fluorescent jacket in the fall.

 

“This project was close to my heart. It happened to us all, we are drivers, have been very afraid when a child suddenly came in from the side of the road. With a fluorescent jacket, the difference in visibility is huge. “The deputy mayor Marie-Hélène was proud to present, with his team, the small fluorescent jackets will be distributed to schools in the school year. These fluorescent vests can dramatically increase security by improving the visibility of vulnerable road users: cyclists, but also pedestrians. Indeed, with its headlights, a motorist sees a person on the street 20 meters if she wears dark clothing, 50 meters with bright clothing and over 150 meters with reflective equipment. If the mobility service has not the power to change driver behavior nor prevent accidents, equip schoolchildren fluorescent jackets was well within reach.

 

Delighted THE SCHOOLS

In total, 8049 vests will be distributed free in 27 kindergartens and primary schools of the entity. “The street is not always secure. It must be seen. Schoolchildren in the morning on the way to school or evening on returning home are particularly concerned. Many students of Flanders already wearing fluorescent vests, it is also done in schools in Kaman. In Mouscron, some schools have them, but only use them for trips or outings at school, “said the deputy mayor of mobility. Only Mouscron noise School, Marist Brothers, already proposed, for two years, her students to wear their vest on the way back to the house. The project is in preparation for a year. The deputy mayor has itself met all directions. 27 schools responded to this project: 6 municipal schools, 18 private schools and 3 institutions of the Federation Wallonia-Brussels. “Special education, enlightenment and Bengalis, also participates. We received a great welcome from the schools. However, some institutions do not want to participate because they have already had a system or because the children come from further and mainly by car but we hope to give them to join us”

 

100% OFFERED BY THE CITY

The City requires schools to engage in time and to avoid that this initiative makes figure of “one shot”. “This is a mutual commitment between the city and schools. We do not want that the vests are in a box in the classroom. For schools pledge to use them, we established an agreement. The idea is that it can persist over time, at least 4 years. “Schools will not receive a new batch of jackets each school year, but will have to manage their inventory and replace missing or lost jackets at their expense. This service offered to schools actually represents a cost. “We commissioned quality jackets; practices with European standards, including solid and reflective strips continue to be so after washing. Each vest cost us between 3 and 4 Euros. “Do the math, the total budget amounts to more than 25,000 Euros from the regular budget of the signaling service and mobility of the joint.”A budget therefore also many schools have told us they want to invest in long vests, but had finally fallen against the cost.” Henceforth, they will at last equip. Schools conquered, parents now engaging the no. “We hope that parents will understand the interest of de- walking and they will be motivated. If they forget to put the vest to their child, it will be more complicated. “Parents will receive in this regard, in addition to the vest, an information leaflet.

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