According to Lukašenko-Tšistotin, October is a time when people still tend to think that it's light outside, which is why they don't wear reflectors and fail to take the first dark nights into account. "Statistics from last year showed a rapid spike in the number of accidents in late October and early November where pedestrians without reflectors were involved," she said.

Since 2011, wearing a reflector has been mandatory both on highways and in urban areas. "In fact, the statistics show that more people get into traffic accidents in urban areas, especially as pedestrians without reflectors. This is because the other light sources and visual distractions are so overwhelming that people, especially those wearing dark clothing, simply go unnoticed," the expert explained.

"When we talk about city speeds being 50 km/h, it takes 28 meters for a car to stop. A driver will only notice a person without a reflector at 30 meters, which is just barely enough – and that's under ideal conditions like good weather, dry asphalt and excellent braking," Lukašenko-Tšistotin added.

Pedestrians must wear a reflector on the side of the road facing traffic, which is the right-hand side. The reflector should be attached at the height of car headlights, approximately 50-90 centimeters from the ground.

"The pedestrian is the most vulnerable participant in traffic. I have a great field of vision when I'm standing still or walking at pedestrian speed. But as soon as I'm in a vehicle, and the speed increases to more than 7-10 km/h, my field of vision narrows and a person can simply disappear from sight," emphasized the traffic safety expert.

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