@quixoticgeek Is 13356 enough? I've been unsuccessful finding the regs again but, from memory, it was minimum EN 1150 or EN 471 (the latter superseded maybe).
EN471 covers 3 classes, depending on the use case, Class 1 is the minimum, and Class 3 is the maximum. To meet class 1 you need:
CLASS 1
Minimum background material 0.14m2
Minimum Retro-reflective material 0.10m2
i.e. Minimal risk such as off road activities. Hi-vis trousers will commonly meet this standard when worn separately from upper garments.
Class 2 needs a bit more, but not much:
CLASS 2
Minimum background material 0.5m2
Minimum Retro-reflective material 0.13m2
i.e. Arco code 1880500 2 Band & Brace Hi-vis waistcoat
To get to class 3 tho, you need the extra length of full sleeves to provide enough material.
En471 is aimed at professional use. In theory if you're a highway worker you need your kit to be EN471. EN1150 is for non-professional use and says:
"Even for a small adult (158cm tall – 5ft 2in) a garment must incorporate a total of at least
0.32 m² of visible fluorescent material and 900 cm² of visible reflective material. In terms of
sheets of A4 paper, that is equivalent to about 5 sheets of fluorescent and 1½ sheets of
reflective material.
• These materials can be applied as a number of bands or panels but these must be
distributed reasonably evenly around the whole garment.
• Fluorescent material can be yellow, green, orange, red or pink (including a combination of
these)
• No piece of fluorescent material can be less than 50 mm (2 inches) wide *
• No piece of reflective material can be less than 25 mm (1 inch) wide*
• No single piece of reflective material can be smaller than 25 square centimetres in area
which is equivalent to a strip about 1inch x 4 inches or a 2 inch square*
• If a garment has sleeves, there must be at least one reflective panel/band on each sleeve. "
So no, the vest I link to doesn't comply. Interestingly, if you look up EN13356, it is a standard for accessories, and not for garments:
"This standard specifies the optical performance requirements and surface area requirements for accessories intended for non-professional use, and intended to signal the user's presence visually when illuminated by vehicles on dark roads. The accessories can be worn, attached to or carried by persons. This standard does not apply to garments."
So in theory, this vest does not comply with the minimum legal requirements to be a hivi vest for French law. *HOWEVER*, it's a hivi, it has an EN number and a CE approval label. So if you're wearing it, the chances of being stopped are slim, and the chances of the cop that pulled you over knowing that EN1156 is not enough, are slim...
There is a gap in the market for well thought out EN1150 garments for cyclists that don't suck...
@quixoticgeek Is 13356 enough? I've been unsuccessful finding the regs again but, from memory, it was minimum EN 1150 or EN 471 (the latter superseded maybe).
"According to French traffic law, a high visibility vest MUST be worn when riding at night (EN 1150 or EN ISO 20471 certified to meet international safety standards)."
from article 9 of the regs http://www.paris-brest-paris.org/index2.php?lang=en&cat=randonnee&page=reglement
Lucky I'm not wearing it for PBP...
J