Walkers should be fined for no high-vis vest

‘FRUSTRATED’  Roads SPC Cathaoirleach, Brendan Mulroy.

Ger Flanagan

THE Cathaoirleach of Mayo County Council’s Roads and Transportation Strategic Policy Committee (SPC) has reiterated his call for bylaws to be introduced so that fines can be issues to pedestrians not wearing high-visibility vest in non-lit areas.
Westport-based councillor Brendan Mulroy made the comments at last Wednesday’s SPC meeting on the back of statistics given by Road Safety Officer Noel Gibbons, which showed a 33 percent rise in national figures in relation to pedestrian accidents on the road.
Cllr Mulroy has been lobbying for the introduction of fines for pedestrians not wearing high-vis in non-lit areas for the last number of years and has grown frustrated at the lack of action.
“I’m really frustrated [with the numbers] because last year I brought this issue up, which received national headlines, and a lot of people came on board but nothing came about on it,” he said. “Sometimes you have to protect people from themselves and I don’t know how many times over the past few months that I’ve been driving on a dark road, with visibility poor and all of a sudden there’s a pedestrian on top of you.
“I’m not sure where we can go with this? In DΡil Éireann, there seems to be a very slow pick up on it. People don’t want to put their head above the parapet on this one but I’ve no difficulty here on this SPC in doing it.
“We can bring laws in relation to on-street parking charges; in relation to drinking on our streets, so I’m asking the [Council] Executive can we bring in laws on this.”

‘Good idea’
Paul Dolan, Head of Roads in Mayo County Council, labelled it a ‘good idea’ but said he was unsure whether or not bylaws could be introduced into the county by the Council. He highlighted that they previously wrote to ‘various agencies’ after Cllr Mulroy’s initial request but they got no response back.
Cllr Mulroy added: “And that’s even more shocking in itself. I know myself highlighting it that I found myself being met with silence from all political sides of Leinster House.”
He continued: “I appreciate if you are inside a speed limit zone and there’s light on the side of the road and you’re on a footpath, it’s fine, but I’m on about an area that is non-lit, late at night and you’re walking along the road [without a high-vis] not only are you putting your own life in danger, but you’re putting the life of the person in the oncoming car in danger too.
“You’re also putting a lifetime of regret for that person and the family and putting a lifetime of sorrow on your own family, where the only place they will be able to visit you is in the graveyard. If the price of not wearing a high vis vest is €50 or whatever it might be, I’ve no difficutly in proposing it here today in introducing a bylaw.” The proposal was met with strong support from the committee.