Reflective Tape: Help Improve the Visibility of your Vehicles.

If you run a business that relies on vehicles, trailers or other equipment for day-to-day operations, you know how important it is to keep those vehicles on the road and in good working condition. Any damages caused by accidents can lead to vehicle downtime, reduced efficiency, and lost revenue.

In addition to vehicle damage and lost revenue, the exponential costs of an accident can be staggering. A study conducted by Motus found that vehicle accidents cost employers $57.6 billion in 2017, factoring in employee medical expenses, insurance increases, leave wage replacement and property damage costs. Additionally, they found that accidents causing injuries and damage resulted in annual insurance rate increases of about 33%, and accidents without any injuries resulted in annual insurance rate increases of about 23%.⁶

When you consider these costs, it’s easy to see that anything you can do to help prevent accidents is a worthwhile investment. By applying reflective tape to the rears and sides of your vehicles or trailers, you’ll help other drivers see your vehicles at night, at greater distances, and may help reduce the likelihood of a crash.

The dollar costs mentioned above don’t factor in legal liability for accidents that result in injuries or fatalities. If you haven’t taken appropriate precautions to ensure that your vehicles or equipment can be seen by other drivers (particularly at night), it’s possible that you could be found negligent and held responsible for the costs of any accidental injuries or fatalities.

As one example, Ohio attorney Michael Leizerman received a $16 million dollar verdict in a case where a young woman died after the vehicle she was riding in collided with the rear of a dump truck—lacking proper conspicuity markings— that pulled out in front of her at night. ⁷

In addition to the financial costs of being held liable in a claim, injuries or fatalities caused by accidents involving one of your vehicles can damage the business’s reputation and public image, which can also hurt your bottom line. By using reflective tape to increase the visibility of your vehicles, you’ll demonstrate your commitment to safety and have one more layer of protection in liability claims by ensuring that you’ve done everything you can to help prevent accidents.

There are three key characteristics you should look for to determine which reflective tape will be most effective for your vehicle fleet:

• Reflectivity: Reflective tape should provide bright, vivid retroreflectivity at wide angles to ensure that the tape will be easy to see—day or night.
• Strong Adhesion: Reflective tape needs to stick to your vehicles in demanding conditions, without coming loose, peeling, or falling off.
• Durability: Reflective tape should be constructed of durable materials that will resist weather, dirt and aging.

It’s also important that the reflective tape is properly applied to your vehicles.

Reflective tapes are a cost-effective way to help improve safety, safeguard your property, reduce your liability, and protect your business assets. For less than $30, you can equip most single-unit trucks with 3M™ Diamond Grade™ Conspicuity Marking Series 983. When you consider the exponential costs of an accident, this is a small price to pay to protect your bottom line.

Reflective tape printed with your logo can also be a great way to build brand awareness while demonstrating your business’s commitment to safety. Consider Custom Logo Series—3M™ Diamond Grade™ Conspicuity Marking Series 983 to help improve the visibility of your fleet vehicles while building your brand.

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