With increasing numbers of people out on the roads, and industries becoming increasingly hazardous thanks to the insatiable demand for work to be done as quickly as possible, it’s more important than ever that we all have adequate protection when we’re somewhere that accidents can occur.

Whether this is in the workplace or just out for a bike ride with the family, we all need to make sure that we are visible to others in the vicinity to reduce the risk of accidents occurring because we weren’t seen. The best way of doing this is to wear high visibility clothing wherever possible to reflect light and stand out in dark areas.

Motorcyclists are just one group of people who are particularly at risk out on the roads. Due to being a significantly smaller vehicle than cars and lorries, and only having one headlight, many drivers will pull out from side roads without really looking and seeing an oncoming motorcyclist resulting in a potentially fatal accident.

If the motorcyclist is wearing a form of high visibility clothing, particularly at night or in harsh weather, then they increase their chance of being seen and reduce the risk of accidents.

A lot of people choose to go running along the side of roads near their homes. People, obviously, don’t come with headlights or indicators, and busy passing traffic can obscure the runner from the vision of other road users. When the leading car moves around the runner, the following cars might not be able to see them, resulting in an accident. Wearing a high-viz t-shirt or lightweight jacket can help them to improve their visibility with headlights reflecting off the clothing.

Pedestrians out walking their dogs can also find high-visibility clothing for their beloved animal to help them to be seen when walking near roads, too.

It’s also vital that safety clothing is worn in a professional capacity. If you work in a yard filled with lorries that require assistance with their maneouvres, such as quarries or supermarket delivery bays, then wearing something that helps you to be seen is key.

In these two examples, visibility can be compromised by harsh or dark weather conditions, or by other obstacles in the environment such as quarry walls or recycling bins. By wearing high-viz clothing, a reversing vehicle should still be able to spot you and reduce the risk of being hit as you guide the driver backwards.