Hi-Viz Experiment

It was very foggy today when Floss, BeAnne and I went on the 2 mile walk.  Everyone wore Hi-Viz, even BeAnne.  This outfit is called The Beankini and she walks along happily in it.  I also put her on a long lead just in case.  And so we set off.

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Anyway, I thought I would try an experiment to see which Hi-Viz colour works best for us so I asked Floss to walk faster away down the road and I would take photos of her progress to show her visibility.  It is 1.30pm by the way.

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This is the furthest I could see her properly.

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Next my turn.  Off we went, (Day 3 of the WeightWatchers) at our usual preamble.IMG_0731 IMG_0733 IMG_0734 IMG_0735 IMG_0736

I think that conclusively proves that orange is the better Hi-Viz colour.  Ok, there may be a wider spread of me in my coat but I am more visible than Floss at a greater distance, even if I were a thin orange blob.

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Then a friend, who was doing some sightseeing in the fog like you do, passed in her car.  We all stopped for a chat.  She said she had seen a bus-load of puffins yesterday at Sumburgh so I retaliated with Foula’s beauty as they gazed at nothing into the distance.  This is her car driving off and yes, she had all her lights on.  You can barely see it.  I need an orange car now.

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Some folk treat hi-viz as a joke.  I don’t.  I want to be seen when I am out and about either on foot, on horse or with dog.  If it makes drivers slow down, then all to the good.  To be run over because you can’t be arsed to wear hi-viz is unforgivable in my book especially up here.

5 thoughts on “Hi-Viz Experiment

  1. Rhonda Lane

    Orange is also helpful if any hunters are about. I went to an endurance riding event scheduled during turkey hunting season. Everyone who’d be out on the course was required to wear orange for visibility and to avoid hunters mistaking us for birds.

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  2. Silke Juppenlatz

    I’m gonna link this to equisafety. I hope you don’t mind. 🙂
    I wanted an orange Polite coat for ages lol.

    Reply
  3. Paddy

    Frances, a friend of mine from school has a business selling hi-via clothing for riders (and horses). Her concerns were more about not being shot by hunters during hunting season, but the same principles apply. All of her stuff is orange. I don’t know if she carries anything that you’ve not been able to get in the UK or might want, but in case there is… http://www.dontshootme.ca
    Article about her: http://www.insidehalton.com/news-story/2982920-horse-rider-turns-fear-of-being-accidentally-shot-into-popular-busines/

    Reply
  4. Andrew Ellis

    Thank you very much for putting this together. Totally answered my questions. As a photographer I have always used hi vis yellow but worried about hunters. Thank you.

    Reply

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