High-visibility clothingPanama

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77. High-visibility clothing

High-visibility clothing is clothing designed to make a person easier for other road users to see. It commonly uses bright fluorescent material combined with retro-reflective strips that reflect light from vehicle headlights.

High-visibility clothing is especially useful when a driver or passenger must leave a vehicle after a breakdown or emergency. Requirements vary between countries, so drivers should check whether a reflective safety vest must be carried or worn.

High-visibility clothing
Firefighters wearing high-visibility clothing during rescue work.
Wikimedia.org • Kecko • CC BY
What is high-visibility clothing?

High-visibility clothing is designed to make the wearer more noticeable to other road users. Safety vests typically combine fluorescent material for daytime visibility with retro-reflective material that becomes particularly visible when illuminated at night.

When should a high-visibility vest be worn?

It should be worn whenever leaving a vehicle in a situation where approaching traffic could present a danger, particularly after a breakdown or emergency and in conditions of poor visibility.

Is high-visibility clothing compulsory for drivers?

This depends on the country. Some countries require a reflective vest to be carried in the vehicle and worn in specified breakdown or emergency situations, while others only recommend it.

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