If you don’t mind, I’d like to continue with our little road safety awareness message. Today’s topic – reflectors. The kind you wear on your clothing.

Now, don’t laugh! This is actually a serious matter. You think you’ve seen dark, but unless you’re from Alaska, you haven’t seen real dark. The kind of dark that comes at 2PM and wants to eat your soul by 5 in the afternoon. The kind of dark that requires an additional set of headlights for your car. (No, I am not joking.)

Yet even with all the headlights in the world, it still can be very difficult to see people, especially if said people wear dark clothing, or ride bikes in the dark.

You think I’m exaggerating? Nationalföreningen för Trafiksäkerhetens Främjande (The National Society for Road Safety) doesn’t think so. They agree that using proper personal reflectors is very important.

You will often see kids with shiny plastic gizmos hanging on their jackets, yet their parents are almost invisible in their dark winter coats. Or you will see an adult with a snap-on reflective band, yet the dog they are walking is invisible against the dark. Or you will see a woman with a reflective vest, but the baby carriage she’s pushing is black against black.

Baby carriage with a glow-in-the-dark cover and a little fella dressed for a safe evening walk.

I had never realized just how important personal reflectors were until I started driving in Norrland.

Did you know that:

Om du har mörka kläder upptäcker en bil med halvljus dig på 20-30 meters avstånd och om du har ljusa kläder syns du från 60 meter. Om du bär reflex ser bilen dig redan på 125 meters avstånd.

(If you wear dark clothes you are noticed by a driver from the distance of about 20-30 meters, with light clothes – from 60 meters, but when you have a reflector, you can be seen from 125 meters.)

Fortunately, the NTF webpage is a virtual goldmine of information. All you need to know about reflective items, vests and clothing can be found on their site.

And if you don’t know where to purchase a reflective snap-on band or a cute hangy-thingy for your child, head to your nearest Apoteket (pharmacy). They have a wide selection of all sorts of snazzy reflectors for kids and adults. And while you’re at it, don’t forget about your dog, especially if you’re using an extendable leash. Your puppy needs to be seen, too.

Walk safely!

Image: NTF