Should kids wear safety vests for road safety on their way to school as in France ?

[ScarletG]

Originally Posted by FrankMiller

Narrow streets would slow cars and shorten the distance pedestrians cross, wouldn't that make things safer?

No it doesn't. My cousin was hit by a car walking to school in a suburb of Paris one morning....major injuries and she's lucky to be alive...bit most family in France seemed to think it wasn't uncommon. It was the 70s though...before people really started worrying about common safety risks.

[Murk]

How about little LED flashers to clip onto their shoes, backpacks and coat cuffs. The movement would catch the eye and identify it as a person.


In most cases though, I think that proper pedestrian behavior would help avoid most accidents. Cross at crosswalks where there is a light. Look both ways and wait before crossing. Or have crossing guards. Don't have your nose buried in your phone etc.

[GoFigureMeOut]

Originally Posted by Sabinerose

If the kids were walking at dawn or dusk (when the reflective strips on the vests would shine), I would say yes. Unfortunately, drivers become used to seeing bright colors and ignore them (not always, but road signs are bright yellow, stop signs are bright red, emergency vehicles, school buses, etc...). Drivers blow through stop signs, don't yield, don't stop for the flashing lights on the bus... I am not sure a bright colored vest would make a huge difference in regards to safety.

Very true. I live in Las Vegas and as crazy as it sounds, I don't even notice all the neon and flashing lights when I'm driving through the strip, you just become immune to it after a while.