About Reflective Safety Clothing

Designed to protect people and pets from nighttime injury, reflective safety clothing is a sensible option for those wishing to spend their dark hours outdoors. Reflective textiles are made to take light from a nearby source and bounce it back to that source, making the wearer visible. In the interest of safety, most reflective clothing is reasonably priced and suited to a number of purposes.

History

• The earliest reflective safety clothing technology can be traced by patent back to the early 20th century. These first versions were inconvenient and often impractical. By 1970, a comfortable reflective belt harness had been developed from the existing reflective technology. A type of safety vest was patented in 1982. The vest was attached to an illuminated harness that incorporated battery-powered electrical lights and phosphorescent patches. The vest itself was white for increased visibility. Later reflective clothing designs used yellow or white reflective tape for less bulk.

Function

• Reflective safety clothing is most often marketed to walkers, runners and other athletes that may perform their sport at night. On dark roads, drivers may have difficulty spotting pedestrians until they are upon them and in a position to cause an accident. Safety clothing reflects the light from headlights or street lamps from a distance, giving drivers more time to take precautions. These clothes are also designed for police officers and emergency services workers who may need to work on dark roads. They are also designed for industrial areas like mines, factories, warehouses, and building sites where workers may need to be highly visible.

Types

• Safety clothing designed to reflect comes in all types, from all-weather wear to professional wear. Vests are made in different shapes to suit multiple purposes. There are long tails for cyclists. Reflective pants, sashes, ankle bands, hats, gloves, shoes, and shirts are also available. Some people attach reflective stickers to their existing clothing or put safety triangles on their bodies and bicycles to alert drivers. Battery-powered LEDs are sometimes built into safety vests or attached separately for extra illumination.

Features

• Safety clothing also comes in a variety of colors designed to maximize visibility. While some choose to wear the traditional gray, neon colors are more often chosen in the belief that they will pick up more light. Construction workers and policemen can be seen in bright orange safety vests at roadside construction sites even in the daytime, while walkers and cyclists may wear neon yellow or green out on the streets. Even pets are put in neon safety gear when out for a nighttime stroll.

Potential

• Leaps in reflective safety technology are made every year to increase comfort and efficiency. Some companies have developed breathable perforated reflective tape designed to relieve workers in hot, humid climates by allowing perspiration to evaporate through the fabric. Other reflective tapes have been created for night and day usage in order to protect people in poor-visibility daytime situations. Electroluminescent technology, which is also used to light cell phones and PDAs, has been applied to reflective safety clothing to improve visibility by distance, angle and weather condition. EL vests are battery-powered and can maintain their charge for up to 10 hours.