For many years we have relied on reflective materials to "light ourselves"
for safety purposes at dusk and during nightime. Many safety items have
been developed using this reflective technology, the disadvantage being that
it needs light from another source to be effective.
Until now ..... PolyBrite is a unique light emitting polymer product
that generates light through the use of Light Emitting Diodes (LED's) that
shine through the polymer lenses on the material creating a very bright luminescence
which has the added bonus of creating almost no heat and having a lifetime
of 50,000 hours. It has a myriad of uses both commercially and domestically.
An American government highway study revealed that a driver "with average
reflexes, eyesight, decisiveness and sobriety driving an average car at 100km
an hour will take almost three seconds to see and recognise a hazard, almost
seven seconds to decide on a course of action and almost five seconds to complete
a manouvre." Therefore in the 14 seconds necessary to see, analyse
and act, the vehicle will travel 389 metres.
If the recognition begins at 400metres, the motorist has only 11 metres of
leeway. Assuming that this 'leeway' would double at half the speed ie. 50
km/h, a distance of 22 metres separates a pedestrian, cyclist or dog, for
example, from the motorist's decision making in the suburbs after dark. Use
of the PolyBrite polymer gives the motorist up to 60 times that distance
to see and react. In Australia, the percentage of night accidents was 43.8%
in 1995, which is frightening particularly when only about
20-25% of total driving time is at night. According to a German study,
84% of the information drivers have to sense and process in order to drive
a vehicle safely through traffic is visual, which is impaired in poor visibility,
ie nightime. Australian road accident statistics show that although
the road toll has been reduced since the 1980's (Australian Bureau of Statistics),
pedestrians, bicyclists and motor cyclists represent a major risk group with
nightime driving. An ACT study (2000) reports that a disproprtionately
high percentage of all vehicular hospitalisations were due to cycle accidents,
which occurred mainly at night and especially as dusk. Cyclists who
rode without lights were at greatest risk.
The polymer has almost infinite applications but currently it is used in products
such as control batons, safety vests and even pet collars. B-Fit Sportswear
& Uniforms supplies all these products and caters for its uses in all
environments, including industrial, military, emergency services and general
usage. The main advantage of PolyBrite products over regular
safety wear is the long life span of the products plus the fact that they
are almost indestructible in any environment, be they hot, cold or just generally
rough. PolyBrite products comply with Australian Standards.