Seeing the Safety Side of Fashion

"We need to increase visibility of our young people on our streets and we feel that if they wear these reflective armbands, they will be more visible to oncoming traffic and therefore safer."

We buckle our children in for safety. We put helmets on them when they are riding their bikes. We teach them to look both ways before they cross the street. They must be safe after all those precautions, aren't they?

Some winter mornings, we send our children out the door when it's still dark (some of those high school students have to start pretty early). We may send them out on a foggy morning or they may be walking in heavy rain. Can every motorist see them? When they are crossing the street, are you certain the car approaching them will see them in time to stop?

In the United States, the American Automobile Association reports that pedestrians account for one out of every six traffic fatalities. The National Safety Council has reported that sixty-six percent of all pedestrian accidents occur at twilight, dusk or night. Most drivers report they just hadn't seen the pedestrian.

There is another way to protect our children. Retroreflective clothing is 1500 times brighter than simple white cloth. That could mean the difference between your child being seen by an approaching vehicle that will have time to yield or being seen at the last moment - possibly a moment too late.

3M™ Scotchlite™ Reflective Fabric makes use of innovative technology. Within the fabric of the reflective material, highly retroreflective glass beads are embedded that redirect light back to its source. The visibility of any object is determined by the amount of light it gives off relative to the amount of light given off by the surroundings. When light from an external source (for example, car headlights) hits an object, the light can be reflected back or it can be emitted from the object itself. When it is emitted from the object, this is called reflection. Reflection occurs when light rays strike a material and bounce off it.

The importance of reflective material became obvious to citizens of the small community of LaSalle, Ontario in 1999. Sadly, a number of children were struck and killed by motor vehicles. The police chief, Ian Russell, took action immediately. Over 25,000 reflective armbands were distributed free of charge to children and adolescents in the community. "We need to increase visibility of our young people on our streets and we feel that if they wear these reflective armbands, they will be more visible to oncoming traffic and therefore safer." The armbands contain a stripe of 3M™ Scotchlite™ Reflective Graphic Film in the middle.

An armband is not the only way to be seen though. 3M™ Scotchlite™ Reflective Fabric can be found in many stores now, making more than an impact on safety - its now making an impact on fashion. Everything from shoes to hats, helmets to pockets, bikes to backpacks -- and much more are now emblazoned with reflective fabric. Now, your children can be visible for safety and a visible fashion statement.