Be Safe, Be Seen - Wearing reflectors at night

Now that the clocks have changed and the dark evenings have arrived, it's hard to get out running in the daylight anymore, especially during the week. If you are running under street lights or when it's nearly dark, then it's vital that you wear the correct gear.

While I was out running during the week, it was good to see that some of the other runners that I came accross during my route were wearing some form of reflective jacket. However, there are always some who don't which is a pity. Reflective clothing is cheap and can make a huge difference to whether you are seen or not.

Here are facts that I found on the net...

17 metres...If you are wearing dark Blue clothing, this is how close that a car must be before the driver can see you in the headlights.

24 metres...As above but this time it is for Red clothing.

37 metres...Distance for Yellow clothing.

55 metres...Distance for White clothing.

150 metres...Distance for a reflective vest.

Car - Stopping distance.

For a car doing 35 mph (55 kph), which is a typical speed around a city, the time it takes for a driver to react and for the car to stop is 41 metres. See the colours above, unless you were wearing White, you'd be in trouble.

For a car doing 45 mph (72 kph), which is typical for a careful driver on a country road, the time it takes to react and stop is 60 metres. So, on country roads, you really need a reflective vest to be seen.

For a car doing 60 mph (100 kph), the stopping distance is 93 metres. Way beyond the limits of bright clothing but still well within the visibility limits of a reflective jacket.

Now that these type of vests are compulsory on building sites, they seem to be everywhere and are pretty cheap. They are loose fitting so you don't sweat inside them and they are very light. You can also get running versions which are a bit thinner but basically do the same thing.

So do yourself a favour...be safe, be seen.