Ignorance can be expensive

Whoever does not have a safety vest in his car from 1 July, can be fined 15 euros. And those who do not wear a safety vest at an accident site even risk their insurance cover.

 

Safety vest: Pay attention to the standard

Available are the red, yellow or orange vests, which have been compulsory in other EU countries for years, on the Internet from two euros. But many petrol stations also offer safety vests. But beware: The vest must comply with DIN EN 471 or EN ISO 20471: 2013.

 

According to the new regulations, only one safety vest for the driver must be available per vehicle. Experts advise but to carry several vests. “Ideally, for every passenger, a vest in the vehicle,” advises the TÜV Rheinland. Inmates must wear the vest with reflective material when leaving the vehicle on public roads, for example after a breakdown or accident.

 

Warning waistcoat: Act now

Especially private car owners are affected by the new warning waistcoat. For commercial vehicles it has been longer, motorcycles remain excluded. The safety vests must comply with European Standard EN ISO 20471: 2013. On the one hand, this requirement calls for 360-degree visibility due to circumferential, at least five-centimeter-wide reflective tapes. In addition, the fluorescent material is prescribed in yellow, orange or red-orange. Finally, the vest must have a hook and loop fastener.

 

“It is important in an emergency that the safety vest quickly from the driver’s seat,” says Clemens Klinke of the Dekra. “That’s why it should be stored in the glove compartment, under the seat or in the side compartment of the door – not in the trunk.” The expert organization also advises against hanging the vest over a seat: Sunlight can bleach the signal color over time.

 

Fine in Europe sometimes high

With the new warning vest duty, Germany follows the pattern of many other EU member states, where it is partly in force for years. In some European countries, unlike in Germany, every person who leaves the vehicle in the event of a breakdown must wear a vest. The fines abroad are sometimes very high.

 

According to ADAC, the driver affects Belgium, France, Italy, Croatia, Luxembourg, Norway, Austria, Portugal, Slovenia, Slovakia, Spain, and Hungary. In Portugal, motorists must expect a fine between 120 and 600 euros.

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