Hi Vis Safety Reflective wear is not just for working men anymore. This type of safety equipment is now being used by the general population to increase the level of safety for pedestrians who choose to wear it.

The advantage of wearing hi vis clothing is that it is easier to be seen and noticed by drivers of vehicles in low and no light conditions. This allows for the drivers to have more time and added distance when approaching a person on or near the road.

The way reflective wear functions is by reflecting the light beam that it comes in contact with back to the original source. This is accomplished by micro glass beads that are incorporated into the cloth. The more of this type of material a person is wearing, the better silhouette of themselves will be visible to the drivers of oncoming traffic. This type of material is called retro-reflective and is one of the passive reflective materials you can wear to help others see you in low and no light conditions.

Not only is there retro-reflective material that hi vis clothing is made out of but just like road workers, there are items of clothing that have strips of micro prisms placed on the cloth. These are another type of passive reflective devices that work the same as the glass beads but do not cover the entire article of clothing, just in strips to bring awareness that there is a pedestrian present. Many public schools advise parents to use these in the form of stickers and have them attached to their children’s clothing so they can be more easily seen.

Since the material uses an external light source to inter react with the glass beads, the actual color of the material or clothing is not of primary concern. This is why the active clothing made with the retro-reflective material is stylish, unlike the workers high-visual material. It makes it possible for cyclists, joggers and walkers who desire a higher level of security to also be wearing some of the latest fashions in active wear. Some of the active apparel is of lighter colors, but the use of black is also common. Even when the cloth is black, it will still be just as visible to drivers of vehicles that are approaching because of the reflective nature of the glass beads that are woven into the material.

The greater the area of a person that is covered by this retro-reflective material, the better the silhouette is. With both pants and tops being worn along with a hat or headband, the silhouette will be complete and a driver will instantly see that they are approaching a person on or near the road.

Today hi vis wear is no longer just being worn by workers that are performing their duties near a road, but by anyone who desires to have an increased level of safety when they are near traffic. This increases their visibility to drivers and others around them so they will be noticed.