People are only now realising the dangerous reason why escalators have brushes on the side

Escalators are quite dangerous and it’s essential to follow safety rules when you ride one. Things can get stuck in them and you can trip over risking not only an injury but also death.

Naturally, getting distracted by those brushes on the sides of the escalators is not the best idea. What’s their purpose anyway?

Do they actually do the job?

Some people believe that escalator brushes are there to clean your shoes, and they are completely wrong.

Those weird black nylon bristles are there for safety reasons. Though they won't stop you from falling, they can help prevent other accidents from happening.

Known simply as 'safety brushes', they keep things like your shoelaces and clothing from getting caught between the moving stairs and the balustrade skirt.

Without that extra feature, there would be a high chance of your personal items getting jammed by the escalator.

But keep in mind that the brushes themselves are actually more of a psychological deterrent rather than a physical one.

When a passenger feels a brush moving against their leg they will instinctively move it away preventing it from getting snagged on the escalator.

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Some TikTok users admit they learned it hard way

TikTok account 'Untold Facts' clarifies why the bristles are so important:

One of the biggest reasons for escalator mishaps is people getting their clothes and bags stuck in them when they stand too close to the sides.

People rushed to share their terrifying experience online.

One follower commented:

I got my floor-length dress caught in an escalator and it left oil/grease stains on it that I could never remove.

Another one added:

Only recently my hubby helped a lady who got her skirt stuck on the escalator.

As a third one admitted:

Escalators scare the s**t out of me to this day. My kids laugh at me because I take the stairs to this day!

Those bristles came into our life quite recently

Skirt deflectors were not made mandatory until amendment A2 in 2004.

According to British and European standard BS EN115-1:1995, the requirement of fitting the ‘skirt deflectors’ or ‘escalator brushes’ reduces the likelihood of items entering the gap between the steps and skirt by obstruction. It also deflects loose clothing away from the hazard to minimise the risk of entrapment.

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Sources used:

- Lad Bible: 'The scary reason behind escalators having brushes on the side'