The facts
Without a reflector, walking on dark roads, cars can see you first when they are within 25-300 feet of you. At a speed even as low as 30 miles per hour they won't have a chance to stop in time.
By wearing a high quality Safees reflector you increase your visibility by anything from 300 to 700 percent. This means that by wearing a Safees a driver can see you over three times as far away. With a reflector you can be seen as far away as 950-1000 feet.
Wearing a Safees will reduce your risk of being hit by traffic in the dark by many times.
Traffic accidents involving pedestrians in the US
Almost two-thirds of the pedestrian fatalities occurred when the light condition was either dark or dark but lighted.
Approximately 5,000 pedestrians are killed in traffic crashes every year.
On average, a pedestrian is killed in a traffic crash every 120 minutes.
A pedestrian is hurt in traffic every 8 minutes.
The risk of being hit and killed by a car is three times as high in dusk or dark as in daylight.
40% of all traffic accidents involving pedestrians happen at dark - even though much fewer people are out walking in the dark.
In 2009, an estimated 59,000 pedestrians were injured; 13,000 of those injured were age 14 and younger, and males accounted for 55% (7,000) of those 13,000 injured.
More than one-fifth of all children between the ages of 5 and 9 years old killed in traffic crashes were pedestrians.
Forty-five percent of the 484 pedestrian fatalities under 16 years of age occurred between 3 PM and 7 PM.
Most pedestrian fatalities (69 percent) occurred in urban areas.
Pedestrian fatalities are statistically more likely in the months of October, November and December. These three months account for around one-third of the pedestrian fatalities.
In winter, on snowy or wet roads, cars need 2-4 times longer to stop.
Traffic accidents involving pedalcyclists (bicycles, tricycles etc) in the US (2009)
The 630 pedalcyclist deaths in 2009 accounted for 2 percent of all traffic fatalities during the year.
The majority of pedalcyclist fatalities in 2009 occurred in urban areas (70%).
Pedalcyclists under age 16 accounted for 28 percent of all those killed and 40 percent of those injured in 2000.
Learn More!
The following are organizations promoting traffic awareness and traffic safety
NHTSA - National Highway Traffic Safety Administration
FHWA - Federal Highway Administration
Time for Action - WHO Road Safety Campaign Decade of Action for Road Safety 2011-2020
Safe Route - National center for Safe Routes to School
Traffic Safety Coalition
Frixo traffic info.
Drinking and driving and its consequences- A list of resources and information
Local Governments: check out your local government and see what they are doing to help prevent accidents in your community.
Facts from:
http://www.nhtsa.gov/Pedestrians
http://www.reflector-guide.com/en/
http://www.trafikverket.se/
http://publikationswebbutik.vv.se/upload/1697/88360_visa_dig_med_reflexer_utg10.pdf
