‘Be Safe ... Be Seen’ is the slogan for new safety-first campaign

Press, 4 August 1981, Page 17

‘Be Safe ... Be Seen’ is the slogan for new safety-first campaign

By

JOHN DURNING

It was a typically smoggy Christchurch winter's night: as usual, a thick mist hung over Bagley Park. Light rain made visibility difficult.

The late-night jogger pounding down Harper Avenue seemed to have his priorities terribly mixed. Obviously intent on personal fitness and a healthy lifestyle. yet his apparent desire to see the next day seemed doubtful. Dressed more like a cat burglar wishing to merge into the shadows than a neon sign advertising his presence to motorists, the young man was drastically slashing his odds of becoming another Ministry of Transport road toll statistic.

It seemed crazy. The jogger had laid out more than $lOO for proper running shoes and a warm tracksuit, but had not thought to wear either light-coloured clothing or safety clothing - reflective clothing that can be seen at night. Reflective material collects light in millions of tiny glass lenses and reflects it straight back from any angle. Headbands, armbands, and patches on clothing can be seen at great distances.

Each year, thousands of motor-cyclists. cyclists, pedestrians, and runners are killed or injured on New Zealand roads. The latest figures available from the Ministry of Transport, for 1979 arc: 2900 motor-cyclists and pillion passengers and 638 cyclists and 1263 pedestrians. killed or injured. Christchurch has the highest accident rate of any city in New Zealand. In 1979. there were 1194 casualties from a population of 171.000. More than a half of these were motor-cyclists and pillion passengers (348), cyclists (90). and pedestrians (127).

Over the winter months in particular, many accidents are contributed to. or caused by. one party failing to see the other. The aim of the Accident Compensation Corporation is to create public awareness so that the less conspicuous, unprotected road-users become more obvious, more visible. "Be Safe ... Be Seen” is a corporation promotion aimed at cyclists and pedestrians to make them safety conscious.

The nationwide campaign began in June. Christchurch, with its large number of

cyclists and joggers, was an obvious place to promote safetv.

Seven points highlight the campaign: • Light-coloured clothing to be worn. • Reflective material on clothes. • Children to carry satchels and schoolbags made of reflective material. © Pedestrians to carry a torch. ® Where there is no footpath. joggers and pedestrians to use the sides of the road in opposite direction to the traffic. • Cyclists to have a lighting system that works. • Motor-cyclists to keep headlights on day and night.

Mr Jim Nieman, safetyadviser for the Accident Compensation Corporation in Christchurch, says that it is better for people to see the value of the campaign for themselves rather than be pushed into safety measures by rules and regulations. The campaign is aimed at everyone on the roads. An intensive programme in the

schools has also been undertaken. For motor-cyclists, it is

recommended that a pair of front-mounted low wattage riding lights are used for day-time riding. It is considered better than day-time headlight because it does not dazzle. Two make for better perception, and the system does not put a high load on the machine's electrics. Daytime headlight use is better than no light, but the lights must be dipped. The red rear light must be kept clean: and bright-coloured gear and reflective patches should be worn. The number of cyclists in Christchurch is mushrooming. However, their attention to safety is questionable. Of all the cycles sold in the city less than half arc bought with a dynamo set. Many consider the extra $2O too much to pay after spending $3OO on the cycle. Only one brand of bicycle arrives from the manufacturers with a dynamo set included. Mr Paul Bennett, president of the Master Cycle Traders Federation, feels that what kills the promotion of dy-

nam'os is the high duty that has to be paid on them. There are many high qualitysets on the market but the duty boosts their price to nearly $5O. The federation also is trying to get the Governemnt to make it impossible for importers to bring cycles into the country which do not have reflective pedals.

"It is much easier to see a moving light than a stationary one." Mr Bennett adds. This is a reason why the federation supports battery lights of the type that are fitted to a person's leg.

Mr K. Salmon, of the National Bicycle Association, says that many of the cheap, imported bicycle light systems are no better than toys. Some have poor fittings and small tail-lights on plastic brackets.

The Accident Compensation Corporation recommends that cyclists have a day-glow red cycle pennant attached to their cycles and that they wear light-colourqd bright clothing. For night riding, reflective material such as waist bands, headbands. or patches on coats are recommended. Lights should be in good working

order and the red rear light bright enough to be seen at a distance. Cyclists' riding habits also help to increase the accident rate. In Christchurch, in the five weeks from the start of June. 147 verbal warnings were given to cyclists by the Ministry of Transport and 21 traffic officer notices were issued for a range of cycling misdemeanours. Pedestrians and joggers, especially children, are particularlv vulnerable.

A pedestrian or runner facing (he oncoming traffic and standing in front of a car with dipped headlights wearing dark clothes, is visible at only 26 metres. He or she would be run over by a vehicle travelling at more than 40 k.p.h. If the runner is wearing light clothes he is visible at only 38 metres and will be run down by any. vehicle travelling at more than 50 k.p.h. Reflective clothes will make the runner visible at

140 metres and safe from ; any vehicle approaching at 115 k.p.h. Toddlers on New Zealand

l streets are six times as ' likely to be killed as they are , in Sweden. This' country's appalling road accident rate has dragged New Zealand to ; twenty-second place on the i world-list of pre-school mori tality rates — a list on which ? New Zealand used to figure ) in the top half dozen, accord--1 ing to the Ministry of Transt port.

The average cost to the community of each child handicapped in a traffic accident is $100,600. Accessories enable children to be seen at four or five times the normal distance. The general apparel for pedestrians seems to be dark clothing, and even at lighted crossings it is difficult to see them, according to Mr Nieman. Pedestrians and joggers are urged by the corporation to wear reflective clothing.

Mr Nieman believes that if a large group of people could he seen in reflective clothing it would have a snowball effect on the rest of the public. He singled out the Milk Vendors Federation as being extremely safety conscious. its members having been quick to don bright orange reflective aprons. “It is too soon to gauge the success of our campaign, but if we can get people to understand that ‘To Be Seen is To Be Safe’ then we have succeeded." Mr Nieman savs.