Road prostitutes in Spain don traffic jackets

MADRID -- A Spanish mayor says roadside prostitutes working outside his northeastern town have begun wearing reflective vests to avoid police fines.

Jose Maria Bea said some 10 prostitutes at a highway roundabout near Els Alamus began donning the phosphorescent green garments this month after police started fining them euro40 ($56). That's the amount anyone in Spain can be fined for standing or walking along a highway, such as during a vehicle breakdown, for not wearing the high-visibility vest.

Bea said it was dangerous for both the women and motorists if the prostitutes couldn't be seen clearly.

Sex is a huge industry in Spain. Pimping is illegal but prostitution is not, although some cities restrict or ban it in public areas.

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