From Oz to Oslo

Such is the focus on reflective gear that since late October there have been advertising campaigns throughout the country encouraging people to wear reflective gear, and there is even a website for it: blisett.no (‘bli sett’ means ‘be seen’ in Norwegian). Dangling reflectors can be purchased in a variety of shapes and colours (see below), and reflective gear is a common promotional item for companies to put their logos on.

As a foreigner, I find the reflective gear very strange. After all, every country has darkness, and they don’t all wear reflective gear. Why is Norway so concerned now that there is a bit more darkness than usual? It’s still the same darkness, just for longer, right? And why is reflective gear the solution? Why not more street lamps? Oslo does in my opinion lack street lights, and I would hazard a guess that if this is the case for the capital, then other cities and areas are even worse off.

I quizzed my boyfriend about street lighting and reflective gear, and received some interesting (and embarrassingly logical) insights. It goes like this: Aside from the large investment that would be involved in installing more street lamps, street lamps light their surrounds equally – for example, a person wearing black near a street lamp would be no easier for a driver to see than a bench or tree. Wearing reflective gear ensures that something actually catches the light and reflects back to the driver. (Yes, I know: duh. )
My boyfriend also added that the reason reflective gear is important at this time of year, and why other countries don’t have reflective gear, is because the very short winter days in Norway means it is now dark at the times of day that are peak for pedestrians – when people bustle through the streets to and from work.

So I have finally succumbed to peer pressure, and this weekend bought a reflector to hang from my handbag. At first I thought I was being over-cautious, but yesterday I saw a woman with a pendant hanging from her left jacket pocket, and her right one, and from her backpack. Well... at least everyone’s accessories are as silly as each other’s!