Reflective vest, GOST. What should a signal vest be like according to GOST 12.4.281.2014

This is true?

Not really. The corresponding resolution amending the traffic rules in 2021 was indeed issued. But the main thing is that, contrary to the data of many publications, it came into force not on March 12, but later.

The fact is that the last sentence in the resolution indicates the date of entry into force - exactly after 90 days from the date of the next day after the official publication. But the date of publication is not considered the date of issue of the resolution with amendments, but the date of official publication, as directly stated in the resolution. Official publication of government acts is carried out in government media. These include:

Russian newspaper,
Collection of legislation of the Russian Federation,
Legal information portal.

[Updated 12/18/2017] The 90-day countdown began on December 18, 2017, when Resolution No. 1524 was officially published on the legal information portal. As a result, the 2021 changes to the traffic rules regarding reflective vests came into force on March 18, 2018.

The nuances of using vests on the road

As of 2021, there are no penalties for motorists and their passengers for not wearing a reflective vest. In addition, passengers can even be near vehicles on the highway at night without special clothing.

Now the judicial authorities of the Russian Federation are checking the norms regarding the lack of reflective vests for motorists, with a view to making changes and amendments. The fact is that after getting out of the car at a stop or if in the event of an accident, the driver can no longer be assigned the status of “driver” and in this regard, according to the law, penalties cannot be applied to him in accordance with the Code of Administrative Offenses.

What are they discussing?

According to news from most sites and Internet services, car drivers in the dark are required to wear reflective vests (with reflectors) when getting out of the car. This is all the information that is conveyed to drivers, who immediately run to buy such vests at auto stores, and it is definitely insufficient. And that's why!

Storing workwear in a car

The reflective vest is stored in the most accessible places inside the car: in the glove compartment, in the door pocket or under the seat. It is not recommended to keep the vest in the trunk, so as not to be in danger when leaving the car.

It is also undesirable to put the vest on the backs of the seats, since the presence of a foreign object on them can cause problems when the airbags deploy.

The number of special vests in a car is not specified in the traffic regulations. Only the obligation to wear a vest is noted in specified cases, from which we can conclude that you need to have at least one vest in the car.

How is it really?

Let's first show how strictly according to traffic rules you now need to wear reflective vests, in the form of interactive questions about the conditions.

Do I need to wear a vest? Online test

Have you been in an accident or had to make a forced stop?

Not really

Is it dark, foggy or raining with insufficient road visibility?

Not really

Have you gotten out of your car and are on the roadway or side of the road?

Not really

You do not need to wear a reflective vest. But be sure to buy it and take it with you in case such a responsibility arises. Go through again

You do not need to wear a reflective vest according to traffic regulations, but it is advisable to do so so that other drivers can see you if there is a danger of being hit by a car. Also, be sure to buy it and take it with you in case such a responsibility arises. Go through again

You are required to wear a reflective vest or cape jacket with reflective stripes in accordance with GOST 12.4.281-2014 (with a stripe width of at least 50 mm), as in the figure below.

What?

A jacket or vest-cape with stripes of reflective material that comply with the specified GOST. It makes no sense to disassemble all this GOST, but since a vest or jacket must be in accordance with this GOST, we will present the main subtleties:

the width of the reflective strip must be at least 50 mm (clause 4.2.2 of GOST);
both the vest and the jacket must have 2 (no more and no less) such reflective stripes located horizontally on the torso; the bottom strip should be located at a distance of at least 50 mm from the bottom of the product, and the top strip should be at least 50 mm from the bottom (clause 4.2.3 of GOST);
two more reflective stripes should each go from the upper horizontal stripe in front and further to the top, then over the shoulders to the back and to the same horizontal stripe at the back - on both sides (on both shoulders) (clause 4.2.3 of GOST).

But one horizontal stripe is also allowed (clause 4.2.3 of GOST, clause c).

This is what a correct reflective vest looks like according to GOST:

And this is incorrect (although one horizontal stripe is allowed, but 2 stripes should still go across the shoulders):

Where?

As can be seen from the official interpretation of the change in traffic rules, the driver must wear a reflective vest only outside populated areas and only when on the roadway or on the side of the road.

When?

And not only in the dark, but also on parts of the road with limited visibility. This is defined in the traffic rules:

“Limited visibility” is the driver’s visibility of the road in the direction of travel, limited by the terrain, geometric parameters of the road, vegetation, buildings, structures or other objects, including vehicles.

At what distance visibility should be limited is not specified.

Under what conditions?

If the driver got into an accident or made a forced stop and got out of the car. The latter, as we remember from the Rules, is a stop associated with a breakdown or danger, deteriorating condition of the driver or an obstacle on the route of the car.

How to choose the right vest?

Reflective clothing must have all the necessary markings and comply with state standards. Special high visibility capes are made based on the requirements of GOST 12.4.281-2014. Another important requirement is the presence of durable tags, which indicate all the basic information: GOST, size, level of protection.

Vests are sold in automotive, hardware and construction stores. They can also be purchased at Russian Post. There are post offices in many localities, this makes clothes accessible to anyone.

Prices start from 150 rubles. The cost of the jacket reaches several thousand.

Is there any point in reflective vests?

In this context, it makes no difference whether you are a driver or a pedestrian. Reflective vests certainly significantly improve your visibility on the road in the dark. But how much? We have prepared the answer to this question in an infographic based on statistical research and GOST standards:

A person in a reflective vest can be seen 6 times further on the road than in dark clothes. But most importantly, the vest allows you to be seen before the driver needs to resort to emergency braking.

Recommendations for caring for the signal vest

We looked at what a reflective vest should be like according to GOST. Finally, we will decipher the symbols on the label of the signal vest and give some tips on caring for the workwear:

The “max” marking with a number means the maximum permissible number of washes for this vest.
“40” or another value is the permitted water temperature for washing.
Image of the iron - ironing of the product is allowed at temperatures up to 150 degrees.
When dry cleaning a vest, make sure that only dry cleaning is used.

When washing yourself, it is prohibited to use bleaching agents, especially those containing chlorine.
A reflective vest according to GOST, the photo of which is presented above, is a reliable means of increasing human safety on the road, as well as in various industries and enterprises. Its manufacture taking into account all standards will ensure the protection of people in difficult conditions, which should not be neglected!

I know the traffic rules well, and there’s still something wrong here!

That's right. If you began to suspect a discrepancy between the official text of Resolution No. 1524 and the actual wording in the traffic rules, then let’s draw the line here.

The driver is inside the car. This follows from the definition of the driver in paragraph 1.2 of the traffic rules. Once he gets out of the car, he is no longer the driver. But the new traffic rules clause 2.3.4 still applies to drivers, since it is located in the driver’s responsibilities.

That is, if the driver got out of the car, he may not comply with this clause at all, which is being amended in 2021, because, according to another clause 1.3, every road user is obliged to know and follow the rules that only apply to them, and he must comply with the duties of a pedestrian .

But there is also a condition regarding reflective objects among pedestrians - it is spelled out in 4.1 of the Traffic Regulations, is advisory in nature and recommends that pedestrians carry any reflective objects with them at night on country roads.

Meanwhile, in practice, most likely, you will have to prove such a discrepancy by the sweat of your brow, and the traffic police officer in many cases will consider this a violation of the new paragraph 2.3.4 of the traffic rules.

Something else useful for you:

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Requirements for vests

The requirements of the Rules refer to GOST 12.4.281-2014 System of Occupational Safety Standards (OSSS). High visibility special clothing. Technical requirements.

For drivers from this standard, it is important to know the labeling requirements for such clothing:

9.1 General requirements
Overalls must be marked. The marking must meet the following requirements:
located on the clothing itself or on a tag (product label) attached to it;
be visible and easily readable;
maintain the appropriate number of maintenance cycles.
The font size of the markings should be easy to understand and should not interfere with the use of special clothing.
9.2 Contents of the marking
The marking must contain the following information:
name, trademark, address (if necessary) of the manufacturer or its authorized representative;
designation of the product type, its commercial name or code;
dimensions specified in accordance with GOST 31396, GOST 31397, GOST 31399, GOST 31400;
number of this standard;
pictogram indicating the level of protective properties. The pictogram is shown in Figure 1.
Pictogram indicating the level of protective properties
X - clothing class; Y - class of reflective material.

Does the inspector have the right to check the presence of a reflective vest?

No. As we have already indicated above, the driver has no obligation to hand over a reflective vest for inspection. Moreover, there is no obligation to carry it with you. The traffic rules clearly state the obligation to wear it under certain conditions. But there is no direct obligation to always have it with you. How you fulfill this duty if there is no vest in the car is not the business of the traffic police inspector. Maybe you can buy it at exorbitant prices from passing drivers!

Thus, the traffic police officer does not have the authority to check the presence of a vest or cape. Here everything is even simpler than with a first aid kit, fire extinguisher and AO sign - you are required to have the latter in your car, according to the Basic Provisions of the Rules. You don’t even need to carry a vest with you, according to the letter of the by-law.

However, inspectors in practice try to fine drivers for not having a vest in their car, requiring them to show it. The traffic police, however, officially clarified that employees do not have the right to do this, and also confirmed that there is no fine for not wearing a vest.

When should a motorist wear reflective clothing in 2021?

Motorists must wear clothing with reflective details in the following cases:

If they were forced to stop outside the city at night or late in the evening.
If they were forced to stop the car outside the city, got out of it, and visibility was poor.
If they had an accident on the highway when it was already dark.
If they had an accident at night and there was poor visibility.

Poor visibility on the road is when other motorists cannot see the situation along the route ahead due to a certain terrain, plants, buildings, structures, including other cars. That is why a person should wear clothing with reflective elements not only at night, but also when there is clearly poor visibility on the road.

Important point! If at night or during limited visibility outside the city, an accident occurred with your participation, but you did not get out of the car, then you will be fined for not having a special vehicle. The inspector cannot legally issue you a vest.

What is the penalty for not having a reflective vest?

There is no fine. Moreover, it is not available both for the driver for violating 2.3.4 in 2021, and for the pedestrian for violating 4.1 of the traffic rules.

However, this does not prevent traffic police officers from issuing fines in 2021, replacing articles. Here is an example of such a traffic police fine for the absence of a reflective vest on a participant in an accident:

Please note that this decree was issued to the driver as a result of an accident, who is represented as a pedestrian in the eyes of the inspector.

Why is it still worth using a vest?

In Determination No. APL18-387, the RF Supreme Court explained that the new rule “does not establish legal liability.” It is aimed at increasing the safety of road users, protecting their lives, health and property, that is, it is primarily beneficial to the drivers themselves.

The effectiveness of this security measure is clearly illustrated by statistics. According to the traffic police, over the 6 months of 2021, 10% fewer collisions with pedestrians at night were registered than in the first half of 2021. At the same time, the number of accidents with drivers stopped on night roads and getting out of their cars without signaling clothing increased by almost 5%.

These data are quite understandable. A car at a speed of 60 km/h with sharp braking will cover a distance of 45–50 m (on a wet or icy road - even more). The driver will notice a person in dark clothes 20 m away, in bright red or orange - 30-35 m, in white - 50 m.

In a vest with stripes, it will be visible at least 130 m away.

Therefore, you need to think first of all not about violation and punishment, but about safety. A reflective vest costs only about 150–200 rubles. When choosing a product, you need to check whether it complies with GOST. Of course, traffic police officers will not conduct an examination on the spot, but it is better not to take risks and not give the inspectors a reason to doubt the proper execution of traffic regulations.

Appeal against a fine

You can appeal a fine for lack of protective clothing to the traffic police. a complaint to the official - usually the boss of the employee who fined it - attaching evidence confirming that the applicant is right.

If the complaint is submitted directly to the employee who was fined, then he is obliged to submit it to his superiors for consideration within 3 days . In both cases, a decision on the appeal takes 10 days from the date of its filing.

It is also possible to file a complaint through the court within 10 days from the date of receipt of the fine. Its consideration by the court takes up to 2 months from the date of filing.

IMPORTANT: If an administrative arrest is imposed on the person filing the complaint, the appeal, in accordance with the law, is considered within 24 hours.

The complaint is satisfied in the following cases :

The innocence of the fined citizen has been proven.
The statute of limitations for the fine has expired.
The citizen has already been punished for his offense.

The reflective vest has firmly taken its place in cars in many European countries. This type of protective clothing is important for motorists, as it can help prevent many fatalities on the roads. Thanks to their low price and high utility, vests will soon appear in the cars of Russian car owners.