A Donegal County Councillor is seeking a new rule for pedestrians to be mandated to wear high visibility vests.
Glenties Cathaoirleach Michael McClafferty said pedestrians should be wearing vests or at least armbands so that drivers have every chance of seeing them walking from a safe distance.
He called on the council to write to the relevant authorities calling for change.
Cllr McClafferty said the problem is not new, but is becoming more apparent with people walking late at night and early in the morning.
“They have no hi viz on, no armbands on, some even with no lights,” Cllr McClafferty told today’s sitting of the council.
“It’s time we as a council, write to the relevant authorities to make it mandatory that if you are running, walking, out for a stroll with your dog that you have to have a hi vis vest on alongside a good quality torchlight,” he said.
“Some time ago myself I came on a person running along the N56 and all they had was the light off their phone. This was totally unsatisfactory. All I could see in front of me was a glimmer of light and then there was no light, so I stopped the car and got out. The person in question was lying to the left of the car. Now I didn’t touch them, there was a good distance between us, but nonetheless, he lost his footing and he tripped and fell and I got the fright of my life.”
Cllr McClafferty said the runner was fine but the incident highlights how poor the visibility was.
Forty-four pedestrians lost their lives on roads in Ireland in 2023. This represents between 1 in 4 and 1 in 5 of all deaths on our roads.
Cllr McClafferty said he believed mandatory vests and lights would save families from enduring the suffering and pain of losing a loved one, having someone seriously injured, or being involved in an accident.
“It’s not fair on the drivers that get caught up in the situation,” he said, “the driver has to live with it for the rest of their days when the other person unfortunately maybe is passed away or seriously injured.”
“There are so many things that can be done but walking about in dark clothes, you cannot expect motorists to see everything. If two cars happen to meet and there is a walker in between that’s where it can get very dangerous.”
Cathoirleach of Donegal County Council Martin Harley added that e-scooter users should also be required to wear hi vis. This suggestion was adopted.
Donegal County Council is now set to write to the Department of Transport and the Road Safety Authority on the matter.
Donegal County Council provide high-visibility vests to the public free of charge on behalf of the RSA.
