Clothing plan to cut road deaths 'unenforceable'

The introduction of mandatory reflective clothing for pedestrians would be impossible to enforce, it was claimed tonight.

Around 64 Irish pedestrians were killed and 1,115 seriously injured in 2003.

The National Safety Council, responding to a call for mandatory reflective clothing from an equipment company, said that while reflective clothing was important for pedestrians, there were far more important issues to concentrate resources on.

“I’m sure if it’s something that could be enforced,” said spokesman Brian Farrell.

“But people do have a personal responsibility to themselves, particularly in rural areas where there are dark unlit roads late at night.”

He said one simple method of reducing road deaths was for parents to put seat-belts on children in the rear seats of cars, with surveys showing that less than half did so.

A UK Department of Transport report last year stated that 28% of accidents involving a car and a pedestrian could be attributed to either the driver looking but not seeing the pedestrian or to the pedestrian wearing dark or inconspicuous clothing.

3M, a Dublin-based company which manufactures reflective vests, said their mandatory use would reduce the number of pedestrian deaths. There have been 35 pedestrians killed on the roads this year.

“Highly visible reflective vests, complying with European standards, can cost as little as €8 each. Surely this is a very worthwhile investment by every motorist and pedestrian when you consider the number of lives that can be saved?” asked spokesman Don Breen.