A MOTION PASSED by Clare County Council has called for making high-vis jackets mandatory for pedestrians and cyclists.

Pat Burke, the Fine Gael councillor who devised the motion, has said it “beggars belief” that people set off for walks without any high-vis clothing.

Instead, he believes it should be treated the “same as not wearing a seatbelt or getting caught for using a mobile phone” while driving.

But the proposal has been criticised by the Irish Cycling Campaign, which has said such a move would only “push away” cyclists and others from using options other than the car for travel.

While such a move would be unlikely to be enacted in law, Clare County Council will now write to minister for transport requesting that it be brought into law. The department has been contacted for comment.

Pat Burke, the Fine Gael councillor who devised the motion, has said it “beggars belief” that people set off for walks without a high-vis.

Burke told Newstalk Breakfast earlier today that he was moved to bring the motion after having a “close shave” recently with a pedestrian wearing no reflective clothing.

“I find that people in the evening go off for their walk and it gets dark by the time they get home, and they don’t bother wearing a high-vis jacket,” Burke said.

He added that the motion was “mainly for pedestrians as opposed to cyclists” who Burke said often do wear reflective clothing in his experience.

“I don’t think it’s fair on motorists in rural areas and regional areas to come around a bend and find someone in dark clothes.”

Úna Morrison of the Irish Cycling Campaign told The Journal that such a proposal was at risk of “getting things backwards” by focusing on pedestrians and cyclists.

“When we look at road safety we need to put effort into minimising risk from those who inflict the most damage which is cars, trucks and buses. That’s where our attention needs to be focused, before focusing elsewhere,” Morrison said.

Morrison added that anything that “disincentivises cycling will remove people from the roads”, which is the opposite aim of much government policy that tries to encourage people to walk or cycle where possible.

“There is a legal requirement to have lights on your bike in darkness but anything else will push people away from cycling,” Morrison said.