Reasons to Use Reflective Tape and How to Find the Right One

If you own a business property, equipment that’s essential to your everyday business operations, or a fleet of transport vehicles, then you probably know how important minimising legal liability and protecting your valuable assets is. If you’re in the transportation business, you know that accidents can result in both legal liability and exponential costs. With that said, every owner should look to do their best in order to reduce the risk of accidents and keep their vehicles and equipment in decent working conditions.

One of the major causes of accidents involving single-unit, heavy trucks and semi-trailers is low visibility at night. Once the sun goes down, visibility is significantly reduced and drivers see much less of their surroundings, which can make even larger vehicles virtually invisible, especially now during bushfire season. Low beam lights usually stretch from 50 to 75 metres, whereas high beam lights reach from 100 to 150 metres. Heavy-duty vehicles driving at 100 km/h need about 50-60 metres to come to a full stop. That being said, to help drivers see you and react to your presence on the road, you need to make your vehicles more visible. The most affordable and arguably the most efficient way to accomplish this is by using 3m reflective tape.

3m reflective tape can also be used to great effect in the manufacturing industry. There are some types of reflective tape that feature warning signals that can be affixed on the walls and floors, allowing workers to be more cautious when moving around those areas if the lighting conditions aren’t ideal. By using reflective tape as safety stickers, you can prevent a lot of accidents from happening. Some other places you can take advantage of this type of tape are railings and staircases. You’ll then know that you need to be extra careful when you approach these areas, and workers also won’t enter into restricted areas if they’re marked as such. Additionally, reflective tapes can be used for identification purposes. Windows, floors, walls and doors can all be marked in different colours and patterns of reflective tape. They can also be used to categorise objects and identify different locations.

But there are also non-commercial uses for this tape. You can use it on your bike, or on your biking clothing so that you’re more visible when biking in the evenings. Further, it can be used for car races, marathons and extended bike competitions so that the vehicles, bikers or runners are more easily noticed from distance. Additionally, the tape can be used to mark the itinerary of the track to make sure athletes stay on the right track. The great applicability of reflective tape, its durability and the fact that it’s made for commercial purposes mean that it can provide great value not just for industrial applications, but also residential uses.

There are three important characteristics that you should be on the lookout for in order to determine which tape will be the best for your application, namely reflectivity, the strength of the adhesives and its durability. The tape should provide vivid and bright retroreflectivity at a wide angle to make sure it’s easily seeable, regardless of whether it’s day or night. Then, it needs to stick to the surface you put it on, even in the most demanding conditions, without peeling, coming loose or falling off. And of course, it needs to be made of durable materials that resist ageing, weather, dirt and other contaminants.

If you’re wondering where to buy 3m reflective tape, it’s simple – the internet. While there are probably quite a few retail vendors around you if you live in an urban area, shopping online is probably the better option as you’ll have more tapes to choose from in terms of colours, patterns, brands, etc. You need to make sure you’re shopping from a reputable supplier that has a history of producing quality reflective tapes over the years. This is to ensure you’re getting the best value for your money, and more importantly because you don’t want to take any shortcuts when the safety of your staff and equipment is in question.

Of course, you also need to compare prices, although the price shouldn’t be the biggest factor in your decision. When shopping for products that enhance safety and functionality, it’s only right you choose quality over price. You can probably find quite a few affordable reflective tapes, but you’ll probably have to replace the marked parts every few months, especially if you use them in high-traffic areas. Paying a bit more can leave you with a durable and strong product that’s going to last for much longer, so you’ll get your money’s worth in the long run.