Update: Reflective belts are now available for a minimal fee at Frank’s Hebrew Bookstore and Jacob’s Judaic.  This is a joint project of Chaverim of Cleveland and The Jewish Sacred Society of Cleveland/Chevra Kadisha.

This is one of those safety things that is easy to remedy. We don’t want to chas v’sholom have an accident and regret knowing it could have been prevented.

From a reader:

I went to an oneg shabbat on 12-23-16. On the way to the oneg I saw one or two people wearing any kind of reflective gear or any thing that would allow them to be seen, the rest of the people were not wearing any thing to let others know they were there. The men were all in dark coats and dark hats.  Some were also walking on the incorrect side of the street. This is a safety issue.

I know that when I am driving at night I do not see the men and women too walking until I am almost on top of them. It is scary to think that I might hit some one because I cannot see them. It is even scarier when I see a family with young children and strollers that could possibly be hit by a car because they were not seen until it was too late.

I would like to see more people of influence in the community urging ALL those walking on erev shabbos, and during shabbos and motzei shabbos or at night in general to wear some sort of reflective belt or vest etc…so that they can be seen by cars on both the side streets and main roads.

I find it very annoying to see what to me is a lack of common sense. The streets are not all well-lit, there is traffic on all the streets and people don’t seem to think it is important to be seen by the people driving. How difficult would it be to put a reflective belt on over a dark coat?

When I go out at night and I am walking I make it a point to put on a reflective vest so that I can be seen by people driving. I am usually on the side walk, but it is nice to know people can see me when I cross a street or have to walk in the street because of ice etc.. on the side walk.

I hope that you can publish this so individuals can be reminded that they cannot be seen in the dark in their dark coats and dark hats. Maybe with enough publicity and reminders some one will start to use a  belt or vest. I hope this happens before some one is injured or killed by a car.