High Visibility Jackets
"Be seen, not hurt" is a great motto to live by, especially if you jog or bike often, or you work in a construction area. And to do that, you will need something that really stands out and gets bright when light is shined on it. And that is exactly what high visibility jackets will do.
Almost all high visibility jackets are made from a very bright color like yellow or orange. Then around 3 to 6 strips of reflective material are sewed onto the jacket, on the arms and around the torso and shoulders. The bright base color will make you stand out during the day, and the reflective strips will make sure you're seen in the darkness of night.
One of the coolest high visibility jackets I've seen is the Class 3 bomber jacket. It will basically cover all of your needs. It comes with a thick outer jacket (and it's waterproof), a hideaway hood, a wind blocker, an inside radio pocket and plenty of outside pockets. You can wear this jacket 5 different ways, so it doesn't matter if it's 0 degrees and snowing, or 60 degrees and sunny.
This type of jacket is especially good for people who work in construction areas, and on road repair. Having cars drive by you is very dangerous, but sometimes the reflective vests you get just don't keep you warm enough. This is where a high visibility jacket would be perfect for you.
If you do a lot of biking, especially at night, you know how important it is to be seen by cars. I've seen so many bikers get hit by cars, and even had a friend die because a driver hit him on his bike.
The reflectors that come on your bike are a good start, but definitely not sufficient for your safety. You need to be wearing some sort of reflective material on your body so you can be seen from any angle, 360 degrees.
When you're deciding on a size for your jacket, it's good to pick one size bigger than you would normally buy. This is because there is usually extra lining inside the jacket, which will make it fit tighter. So going with a larger size will ensure your jacket is still comfortable.
Make sure your jacket is certified by the American National Standards Institute (ANSI). These guys have very high standards as to how reflective and safe the jackets have to be in order to get certified. Having ANSI certified high visibility jackets is the safest thing to do.
If a jacket is too heavy or too hot for you, you can find all types of reflective clothes from jackets to vests and t-shirts to hats. You have no excuse or reason not to wear one if you work or play around cars all day.
It's easy to forget, or just not care about safety when you're biking or working. You might not think that something as simple as wearing a reflective jacket can save your life, but it can. And just like wearing a helmet when you're biking, it's better to be safe than sorry.