Working for a large organisation, rules are sometimes applied in strange and inconsistent ways. After an unfortunate road accident on-site, in which a pedestrian's leg was broken, one of our partner organisations introduced a rule that their employees must wear high visibility jackets whenever they are outdoors.
Maybe this is sensible, maybe not, but fortunately that rule has not been rolled out to the rest of us.
Wouldn't it have been rather ironic to have to wear a high visibility vest on top of the smart black 'low-visibility' jacket that was issued last year? Strangely though, it is exactly the sort of thing that I could easily imagine happening.
On a 'partner site' a few years ago a rule was introduced to stipulate that all cyclists must wear cycle helmets. That is not required on the public roads in UK, and there are statistics from other countries that have implemented such a law to suggest that accidents might even increase. On that particular site there are also outdoor areas where it is mandatory to wear a hard hat.
I speculated to one of the directors that I might find it difficult to decide what to do if I had to cycle through a hard hat area.
It seems that that very argument had already been rehearsed for real.
Such is the fun of working for the government!
If everyone wore high visibility jackets it would reduce many deaths. What is your reason for not wanting to? Unfortunately 90% of drivers on the roads today drive too fast and have little idea that they are driving a killing machine. As for cycle helmets, I think actually when you gather all the statistics concerning this, it is more sensible and safer to wear a cycle helmet. When seatbelts first began to be compulsary everyone moaned...yet how many countless lives have been saved because of them. There will always be those accidents which happen because of them, but on the whole, the weight of evidence goes for high visibility jackets, cycles helmets and seatbelts and I also wish cyclists would have proper lights on their bikes and also wear high visibility clothing.
ReplyDeleteHilary - so you wear a high visibility jacket when you go out?
DeleteThought not. Are we not taking the responsibility to drive carefully away from the driver, and that of being aware of their surroundings from the pedestrian?
It reminds me of when airports started insisting on high viz jackets to walk on the apron. I never did understand how a jacket could prevent me walking into the path of an aircraft, and to expect a taxying 747 to go round me was a step too far.
Really I was intending to resort to ironic comedy, with the idea of the nice new black fleeces being worn under a nice new hi vis jacket, and the choice of hard hats being difficult.
DeleteHowever, since the site speed limit is 30 mph (and 20 in many places) on old runways that are a mile wide, with adequate pavements and good street lighting, I think it smacks of the nanny state. I'm glad (and amazed) that common sense has prevailed.
As it happens I do usually wear a cycle helmet, and high vis, and have very good lights, so its not that I can't distinguish a hazardous situation from a safe one.
Actually living in North Wales I would never walk anywhere after daylight has ended without being highly visible! I do rather think that comparing merely sensible laws which are for everyone's benefit with the possibility of being run over by a 747 just a little on the extreme side... I live by a road which is a main road, and which is extremely busy day and night...one man chooses to walk along this road at night dressed in black. The road is a 60mph which clearly for anyone who knows their stopping and breaking distances is an estimated 20mph too fast on any road at night if only dipped beam is used. By the time this man becomes visible in a dipped beam headlight it would be too late! The only safe speed to drive at night using a dipped beak is not much over 40mph, unfortunately the majority of drivers on the road make this an unsafe speed to do on for example motorways as going at 40mph on a motorway would cause as many problems as not seeing a broken down vehicle with no lights until too late (which, to give an example, a former colleague of mine from my schoolteaching days did and not being able to stop, crashed into it, being saved only by his airbag, being in hospital for a month and off work for longer...)
ReplyDeleteProb the safest thing to do, get rid of cars, and all vehicles with engines and everyone cycle...or walk...
Hilary: I agree that high vis clothing has it's uses, and I too have come across both pedestrians and cyclists dressed in dark clothing at night, and in the case of cyclists they often have poor or no lighting on their bikes.
DeleteRegarding your last comment - a little extreme, we would have to go back to the days when everyone lived very close to their work - in the 21st century that will not work as times and work have changed. I have a meeting in Northampton next week for example and even the rail journey is impractical so I will have to drive. Cycling or walking are not options!
It sometimes gets dark in Oxfordshire too. :) I find it especially noticeable after daylight has ended.
Deleteahem, for 'dipped beak' read 'dipped beam' :)
ReplyDeleteD.E I was joking when I suggested getting rid of all cars etc...although...
ReplyDelete...and P.E there was me thinking it's only North Wales that gets dark! :D
Hilary
DeleteNever joke when environmentalists or politicians may be listening - they may take you seriously!
i think cyclists having to wear HI-VIS is a good idea, after all being able to see a target makes it easyer to hit then.
ReplyDelete