Some reflective vests that commonly sold in our country are not visible in the dark. Researchers from the Brno University of Technology found it. These vests bought at the market, although they have a label about attestations, they are still non-functional.
Researchers at the Faculty of Electrical Engineering and Communication of BUT test reflective vests in the field. They use a special camera device to create a so-called luminance map. It depicts the contrast of the figure at night with respect to the surroundings. “What you see here is a luminance analyzer that based on a digital SLR camera, which specially adapted for this case, then we analyze the photo using the software,” explains Jan Škoda, head of the lighting technology lab.
Two figurants went into the dark, 80 meters from the car. Such a distance must be seen to allow the driver to respond to the pedestrian at 90 km speed. The technician with the device in the car-focused them took a picture and analyzed the device. “From the luminance map, we can see that there is only one vest, the other is not visible,” said Jan Skoda.
Buy a cheap vest is gambling with life
“A few crowns can make a difference between life and death. My colleague wearing a vest from the marketplace and it was not visible on the record,” said Michal Belák, a specialist in Traffic Accidents Analysis. A quality vest will cost about two hundred crowns and drivers can buy it at a petrol station or in a car accessories shop. According to researchers, they can be trusted.
Reflective materials and reflective tapes are clearly visible on the vest at night, even at a distance of 300 meters. For the highest quality and for miles away.
Even a vests label does not guarantee the quality of the vest.
There is a vest about 50 crowns at the market. Even this usually has the necessary attestation on the label. Being visible in the dark but not guaranteed.
It is just enough that the vest has a certificate of attestation. If it is really well lit in traffic, it no longer detects. The duty that pedestrians to have reflectors in the dark outside the village for over a year. The fact that she could not be seen cost her life, for example, in the last year’s accident in Bclav. The darkness only went in dark clothes. Overall statistics, if people really wear reflective elements, but the police don’t register.