Kid's Jackets...

[out in the cold]

Had a heart stopping moment on the way to work today.

Driving down the country road I usually take at around 45 to 50 mph, when I saw a kid dressed head to toe in black in the middle of the road, crossing to where he is normally picked up by his bus. Evasive action taken and no harm done.

Thankfully I wasn't doing the 60 mph that I normally do on that stretch of road, there wasn't anything coming round the bend in the other direction, and my car has ABS brakes... If you have kids, please do them a massive favour: buy them a brightly coloured jacket with reflective strips built-in.

It WOULD have been a fatal accident had I not seen them at the last minute and was able to swerve

[lottie dolly]

It turns your tummy inside out,4 aprx years ago,broad daylight,on main road,a woman pushchair and a youngster at her side,all of a sudden,he ran into the road,good job i had an eye out before,the mother just stood thwere with eyes popping out and hand over her face,i stopped and gave her a piece of my mind,plus tolled the kid how silly it was ,she kept saying sorry,had it been the busier time of day,things would have been differet.

[Dorothy rouse]

Horrible, and gives you such a shock, at least was OK.
Last week I turned left into my road, a young woman crossed, pushing her buggy with baby in, right in front of me she didn't even look, and hadn't a clue there was a car turning in,luckily I saw her and stopped, she didn't even see. Me and just carried on sauntering across the road.

[veggiechicken]

Its not just kids either - adults, cyclists etc............
If its after dark, we should all being wearing light coloured jackets!!

[WendyC]

My husband commutes on his bike, dressed like a proverbial Christmas tree, with very bright lights front and back and on the handlebars, hanging off him and his saddlebag, wears a hi vis vest and guess what, still some people, drivers and pedestrians don't see him!
However I do agree with avoiding all black. Some manufacturers add reflective strips to kids coats but they are a bit small sometimes.

[Hazel at the Hill]

Its not just kids either - adults, cyclists etc............
If its after dark, we should all being wearing light coloured jackets!!

Like my top.

[veggiechicken]

Yes, Hazel, I do like your top

[julesapple]

Ma's little dawg has a reflective hi viz coat, and a thing that clips to his lead that has flashing lights.

Just as well, because Pa is liable to go out dawg walking dressed head to toe in black!!

[Aberdeenplotter]

Like my top.

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Don't know, I'd need a closer look

[Feral007]

Trouble is older kids don't like wearing bright colours, or hi viz strips.

Had to chuckle at Ma keeping Pa safe by dressing the dog up Jules.

I hate cyclists on our roads. The roads are narrow and it's hard for two utes to pass each other, but you can come over a hill or around a bend and there will be anything from 1 - 20 of them in front of you doing not very fast if uphill. It's so dangerous. But apparently getting road practise is very popular. And because of our hills they come here especially! I often wonder if they have to prove they have a death wish to join a road team

[noviceveggrower]

Hi,
My sister cycles to her local train station. She has all the kit on hi viz vest, helmet and things on her trousers. And she cycles on the road.
She was cycling one day when a guy on a mountain type bike came out of a siding, off the pavement and smacked into her putting her into the middle of the road.
He told her to watch where she was Fing going and cycled off. Two postmen who saw it happen helped her up off the road and made sure she and the bike was ok. She was livid.
But with kids I walk my two to nursery and school the amount of children that run off from their adult is amazing. Not just on the pavement but also when crossing the roads. I have mine with me at all time.

[out in the cold]

In my OP, I sort of missed out a few important points, so just to clarify...

Yesterday morning, there was a danger of snow or heavy rain, so the sky was black.

The country road the kid was crossing is the A97, and he was crossing in a wee dip in the road.

It was around 5 past 8 in the morning, so even in normal conditions, this is "half light time".

I had my full beam lights on, and still didn't see home until I was about 30ft away from him.

I have snow tyres on,and brand new brakes with only 2500 miles on them.

He is therefore one lucky teenager.

[veggiechicken]

He's one very lucky teenager - and you're one very good driver OITC.

[Two_Sheds]

some people, drivers and pedestrians don't see him!

it's a big fat lie. They DO see him, they just ignore him in their rush to get where they're going. See how many people go online to moan about cyclists with no lights ~ if you're moaning about them, that means you've seen them. So if a cyclist has hi viz and lights, you've DEFO seen him!

I've been driving for 25 years now, and I've NEVER had any kind of near-miss with a cyclist or a pedestrian, because being one myself I know how to drive safely around other road users. Starting with not driving in the gutters, like most people do these days