Data from the Center for Transportation Research shows that by 2016, nearly two-thirds of fatal pedestrian accidents on our roads were nighttime crashes. . In response to this sad statistic, in 2016, an amendment to the Road Traffic Act was passed, which mandates pedestrians in reduced visibility to wear reflective elements. Thanks to this change, the number of fatal night-time pedestrian accidents fell from 73 in 2015 to 53 in 2017 and 58 in 2019.
HI-VIS clothing, i.e. clothing with reflective elements, can really increase a person’s visibility at night up to ten times. Consequently, the chances of the driver seeing you on time are much higher. The figures mentioned in the introduction only confirm that this is so. Not only did the number of fatal night accidents fall, but their share in the total number fell from the original two-thirds to only half. The risk of pedestrian accidents at night is significantly lower thanks to the use of HI-VIS work clothes.
Our advice – reflective clothing can save you not only on the construction site, but will also protect you in everyday life.
Choose the safety class of clothing according to the specifics of the workplace
Class 1 – HI-VIS clothing from this class is suitable for employees who do not work on roads or railways (construction sites, forests).
Class 2 – second-class protective clothing already offers enough reflective surfaces for workers moving on roads or railways with closed traffic.
Class 3 – this clothing provides an adequate level of protection for employees working on roads and railways even in normal traffic conditions.
What colors are considered “HI-VIS”?
Two colors are considered highly visible – yellow and red-orange. Red is also approved provided that the shade belongs to the orange color spectrum. Otherwise, red cannot be considered a HI-VIS color, as it is difficult for some people with a certain type of color blindness to recognize it.
In our selection of HI-VIS work clothes you will find:
T-shirts
Hoodies
Jackets
Fleece jackets
Softshell jackets
PILOT jackets
Winter jackets
Waistcoats
Pants
Pants with suspenders
Short pants
Follow the regulations when choosing reflective clothing
The appearance of reflective clothing depends on the individual workplace. The appearance of HI-VIS clothing is determined by the EN ISO 20471 standard, on the basis of which high visibility clothing is divided into three groups. The size of the surface of the reflective material is a decisive factor.
| Material/Class | Class 1 | Class 2 | Class 3 |
| Basic material | 0,14 m2 | 0,5 m2 | 0,8 m2 |
| Reflective material | 0,1 m2 (5 cm wide stripes with a minimum length of 2 m) or (7 cm wide stripes with w minimum length of 1,4 m) | 0,13 m2 (5 cm wide stripes with a minimum length of 2,6 m) or (7 cm wide stripes with w minimum length of 1,9 m) | 0,2 m2 (5 cm wide stripes with a minimum length of 4 m) or (7 cm wide stripes with w minimum length of 2,9 m) |
| Combined material | 0,2 m2 |
The standard therefore determines the size, number and arrangement of reflective elements. For example, higher security classes require reflective strips to delineate the figure. Using a vest is therefore not enough.
It should be emphasized that clothing should also have vertical reflective elements. In practice, these elements ensure that the employee will be clearly visible, even when, for example, he is bent or kneeling during work.