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Why High Visibility Clothing for Kids?
Look round any busy town centre and you will be able to spot people wearing high visibility clothing; workmen, lorry drivers, postal workers, supermarket trolley collectors and so on.
Yet there is one important, vulnerable group of people in our society that we hardly ever see wearing high visibility clothing: school children. Often obliged to wear dark uniforms and carry dark bags, they are regularly out on our streets on misty, rainy mornings and again when daylight is fading.
How Does High-Visibility Clothing Work?
High-visibility clothing is clothing made of fluorescent material with added reflective tape or shapes. Now for the technical bit...
The sun's ultraviolet rays react with the fluorescent colours to ‘glow’ increasing daytime visibility. The effect is stronger in poor light conditions such as in fog or towards dusk.
At night, light from sources such as car headlights bounces off the reflective areas to make the tape glow, increasing night time visibility. Some reflective materials are retro-reflective which means the light bounces back to its source. If a car shines it’s headlights on retro-reflective material, most of the light is reflected back to the driver. Other reflective materials are made using glass bead technology which scatters the light, some of it getting reflected back to the driver. High visibility products can include either type.
The important thing to remember is:
“Fluorescent for daytime visibility, reflective for night”
High Vis Fashion
Let’s face it, high vis hasn’t exactly taken over the catwalks (yet!!!). We usually associate it with the industrial styles worn by workmen. But things are changing.
Over the last couple of years more and more big sports brands have started to put reflective bits onto shoes, bags and garments. It’s a step in the right direction and helps night time visibility. What about daytime and dusk though?
Fluorescent materials don’t have to just be the traditional yellow and orange if the garments are for leisure-wear rather than industrial use. To make high vis more stylish and desirable for children pink, green and red is also available. Older children may prefer to carry a fluorescent coloured bag with reflective strip when walking or wear a Sam Browne Belt (high vis sash/belt) when cycling. Stick on reflectors are fun and can be designed to suit any age.
School uniform could be the key to making high vis acceptable to secondary school children. Children of that age don’t want to ‘stand out’ from the crowd; high vis certainly makes you stand out. If the ‘crowd’ are all wearing it then would they be so self-conscious? Isn’t it worth trying?
Not Just for the Walking Bus
The recent increase in the number of Walking Bus schemes (where children have to wear high vis for insurance) means children are being introduced to high vis. But why should it be just for the Walking Bus? If other primary school and pre-school children get used to wearing it at such an early age, by the time they are secondary school age they will be more used to the idea and less self-conscious wearing it.
So Should All Children Be Wearing It?
We don’t want to go over the top with this. However, when children are out walking, cycling or horse-riding in poor light conditions it makes sense for us to make them as visible as we can. If we can do it with fun styles and fun products, they’ll love it too.
What About Adults?
When you’re out jogging, cycling or walking the dog at night do you think about how easily drivers can see you? You probably don’t realise how inconspicuous you are. High visibility leisure-wear is becoming more popular so look out for it and think about getting some. Remember that kids love to copy and if they see you wearing it, they might just want some too.
Highway Code and High-Visibility Clothing
And now for the official line ...Highway Code Rule 3 states:
“Help other road users to see you. Wear or carry something light coloured or fluorescent in poor daylight conditions. When it is dark use reflective materials (e.g. armbands, sashes, waistcoats and jackets) which can be seen by drivers using headlights up to three times as far away as non-reflective materials.”
Suppliers
The products advertised here are reflective or fluorescent or high visibility (both reflective and fluorescent). Please contact suppliers for further details.
Safe Kids Walking Ltd is not responsible for the content of advertisements or third party web sites, and does not necessarily endorse advertisers’ products, other than BrightKidz products which are owned by the company.
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