Minister for Transport Shane Ross said a new law would need to make it illegal for cyclists and pedestrians not to wear hi-vis clothing. If it saves one life it was worth pursuing, he said.

Shane Ross: Mandatory hi-vis for pedestrians & cyclists

Minister for Transport Shane Ross has raised the prospect of cyclists and pedestrians being forced by law to wear hi-vis clothing.

He said he was inclined to let road safety awareness campaigns run their course for now. But he believed in the longer term making it an offence not to wear hi-vis clothing was something he favoured.

In reply to a written Dáil question Ross said if the measure saved one life then it would be worth it.

His response was quite different exactly 12 months ago, when he ruled out the idea of mandatory hi-vis.

“Ultimately, however, the wearing of such safety clothing is a matter of personal responsibility,” he said in October last year.

“My Department is not considering making the wearing of hi-visibility vests a legal requirement.”

However, it a reply to another Dáil question, from Robert Troy TD (FF) last week, Ross’s attitude had clearly changed. Suggesting he was in favour, though with several caveats.

“To create a statutory obligation on the wearing of reflective clothing would entail making it a criminal offence under Road Traffic legislation for any person guilty of not wearing high visibility clothing,” he said in his reply last Wednesday.

“A person in breach of such a provision would fall to be issued with a fixed charge notice or summonsed to court, depending on whatever procedure would be put in place for the processing of such offences.

“I am of the view that despite certain obstacles, this measure is worth pursuing, if it could save even one life.

“However, in the short term, I am exploring whether the wearing of high visibility clothing is better achieved by way of educational and publicity campaigns run by the Road Safety Authority (RSA) rather than by pursuing a punitive approach to the issue, particularly having regard to the large numbers of children and young people who cycle.”

He added almost four million high visibility wearables had been distributed by the RSA, Garda and other agencies in the last four years.