Stay Safe Be Seen At Night

I just want to say these few words: Stay Safe, Be Seen at night. Today, as the nights are drawing in, we wanted to share with you the importance of staying safe, being seen at night.  But firstly Happy Bonfire Night to one and all!

We sadly missed our local Fireworks Night, held last Sunday 1 November, as we were en route back from our sunny half term hols in Germany. Normally the kids are all volunteer helpers at the event in our village, which is always organised by the Scouts and Explorers. Being keen Explorers, they all love to help out by running either the sweet stall or selling tickets at the gate. The voluntary hours all contribute to various community badges that they are keen to have adorning their scout uniform. All a bit like an additional badge of honour!

Anyway, tonight’s the night, Bonfire Night when we normally rustle up some sparklers for outside in-promptu family fun and sometimes we’ll even get the BBQ going, sip on a hot mug of soup then finish off with toasting some marshmallows on sticks around the BBQ.

Now the nights are drawing in, we need to stay safe, be seen, be visible when we are out and about once night falls.  So if you are heading out to a Bonfire Night, please please please be sure to stay safe, and be visible at night. When you are a pedestrian you just don’t realise how invisible you become in the dark, particularly if you are wearing a dark jacket or coat.

I wanted to share with you some information I received from Volvo on a unique, rather special reflective spray they now sell. It doesn’t show up in daylight, but as soon as darkness falls, it glows brightly in the headlights of cars, making vulnerable road users – kids, cyclists, bags, clothes, bikes all easily seen in the dark.

It’s called Volvo Lifepaint, which you simply spray on textiles and fabric, and is now available from local Volvo dealerships nationwide. Now you may think this is strange to be talking about this on the Lunchbox World blog, but we live in a really dark area, and by that I mean, little or no streetlights nor footpaths, so it’s something close to my heart.

It’s pretty rural round here and I know how hard it is, sometimes as a driver, to actually spot cyclists or pedestrians, particularly when their coat or clothing is dark in colour. It is so easy to blend into the foliage around you, and simply not be seen, until the very last minute.

Now my two boys both have paper rounds now and each Wednesday I send them out, dressed in their high vis jackets, accompanied with their high vis paper round trolley bags, hoping they’ll also wear their high vis gloves and be seen. We live along a country lane with no footpath, and at night, it’s pretty dark around our roads.

I’ve even got the boys kitted out with those head torches, so they can rummage in their bags for the paper, hands-free. The head torch also keeps them visible whilst doing the round and walking home. It’s something else that’s moving around in the darkness with its aim being to attract the attention of a night time driver, in an area where it is black as black can be.

For more information visit the Volvo Lifepaint pages or watch the short video below. It’s £9 a can.