Nowhere in the decree was it established that the use of the reflective vest is mandatory when getting off the vehicle. You only need to carry it in the car. For this reason, to collect the fines, of Carabineers they say that they will allude to the “spirit of the norm”.

Carabineers assume that the text of the decree is confusing, so they will initially check that it is inside the vehicle, says El Mercuric, the prefect of Traffic and Roads of Carabineers, Colonel Enrique Morass.

A decision that was qualified as a “waste of time” by Maria Francisca Yates, former executive secretary of the National Traffic Safety Commission. “They should focus on speed and alcohol,” he added.

The opinion is shared by the international road safety specialist Milton Bergin, according to the morning paper, who indicated that demanding its use contravenes legality by not being in the decree.

“In the European Community, for example, there is no reference to the size of the reflective vest(especially sewn-in reflective fabric), but specifically to the use, which is what matters,” said Bergin.

Decree 164 states that “the vest must always be in place in the vehicle that can be accessed from inside the vehicle” and does not add to the conditions in which it should be used.

Colonel Morass added that “afterward the legislators will agree to change the name and make it more explicit”. The fines amount from 0.2 to 0.5 UTM, that is, up to $ 23 thousand.

The regulation begins on January 1, 2016, and has triggered the sale of high visibility vests.