Apparel – Reflective Safety Vest

It was a gloomy January night in Southwest Florida as Paul Krieger made his way home in the rain. Driving cautiously, he suddenly realized the flash of light in front of him was the reflective spot on someone’s tennis shoes.

Fortunately, Paul zigged and the runner zagged. While he avoided impact, Paul did crash into a great idea: reflective gear with built-in LED systems.

The sheer brilliance behind the concept is clear from the facts:

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), in 2012 alone, 4,753 pedestrians were killed in traffic crashes while another 76,000 were injured. Compiled research from RoadID shows that “year after year over 122,000 runners, walkers, and cyclists are hit by cars.”

Fast-forward a year from that night, and Paul has launched CEE AND BE CEEN Safety Apparel™—a brand of reflective safety garments featuring built-in LED systems.

Lighter than traditional safety vests, the product provides excellent airflow for dissipation of heat and perspiration, features two front pockets to stash your cash/cards, and a side pocket for your phone/tunes.

CEE ME has retro-reflective 1” 3M® Scotchlite® on the front and back and is BRIGHT safety orange and lime green. The CEE ME safety vest factor is enhanced immeasurably with amber LED lights and a three-position switch that allows you to choose between on, off, and blinking, as well as a headlight that can be placed on the front of the garment with an attached Velcro strip.

A huge bonus for this gear is that not only is it washable (follow the instructions carefully, as the LED lights cannot be washed), but it can also be personalized for clubs, groups, and commercial businesses—a third back panel of reflective letters can be added to your vest.

The former Sales & Marketing VP and his team of experts, including the neighbor’s four-footed test puppy Molly, already have a few more products in the pipeline:

• A pet vest (available in 5 sizes—great for individual owners and guide dogs)
• A commercial garment that meets ANSI/OSHA standards (think construction workers, school guards, police/highway patrol officers, airline ground teams, garbage collectors, etc.)
• A children’s safety vest (designed with an eye toward other countries where walking to school is a daily hazard that claims far too many young lives)

Made with American materials in the Dominican Republic, CEE AND BE CEEN products undergo safety testing before hitting the market. The light strings last up to 60 hours, while the headlight has a battery life of 100 hours, adding to its cost effectiveness.

The CEE ME Safety Harness retails online for $49.95, but is currently being offered for $39.95—a bargain for anyone making late night/early morning “runs” on foot or two wheels.