The latest changes to the Road Traffic Safety Act have also brought some novelty to cyclists, who now have to wear reflective vests, clothing or other reflective markings when riding on all roads.

 

Cyclists who fail to comply with the obligation to wear a reflective vest, reflective clothing or reflective driving tag may be fined HRK 300.

The provision, found in a law passed on September 27, which had just come into force, surprised cyclists’ associations because, they claimed, it was not mentioned during the public hearing.

 

“We agree that the visibility of cyclists on the roads is extremely important, but European and international experience has shown that the proposed measure of wearing reflective clothing decreases the attractiveness, convenience, and accessibility of using a bicycle as a local vehicle, which minimizes and counteracts the many positive effects that bicycle popularization has in the community, “the Cyclists’ Union said, warning that the stricter obligation to use reflective clothing, in this case, was not based on evidence to suggest that existing legal obligations were insufficient.

And until now, cyclists have been obliged to use bicycle lights and reflective clothing with reflective fabric or vests on public roads anyway.

 

Namely, the police do not collect data on the use of lights and reflective clothing, or even as data in road accident reports involving bicycles.

 

“Existing legal requirements for the use of lights would be far more effective measures for the night visibility of bicycle riders, but their level of use is extremely low. by that data, about half of bicycle riders in the Zagreb area do not use any lights in the evening and at night, and less than 40 percent use both statutory lights: front white and rear red, “say the Cyclists’ Union.