Walkers and runners are being urged to wear high-visibility clothing following reports of ‘near-misses’ on several roads in Co Clare in recent days.
With shorter winter days now upon us, it becomes light much later in the morning but gets darker considerably earlier in the evening.
There have been several incidents reported of people out walking being hardly visible in the dark or in poor light at dawn and dusk. Many have been reported to be wearing dark clothing while walking on busy main roads giving motorists little or no chance of seeing them.
The Road Safety Authority and An Garda Síochána regularly remind people of the importance of wearing high visibility material when out walking, running or cycling. They also encourage the public to do so throughout the year, but especially on the shortest days of the year and during the winter months.
While motorists have a responsibility to ensure they drive in a safe manner and can stop in the event of an emergency, so too have pedestrians and cyclists. They should make sure they can be seen and the best way of doing so is by wearing bright, light-coloured or high-visibility clothing while carrying a torch would also offer added protection.
Don’t forget that pedestrians will have to socially distance when walking on footpaths and the roadside where there are none.
Approximately two-thirds of fatal pedestrian collisions happen in hours of darkness.
The basics
Although you can’t be responsible for the way people drive, you can take a number of steps to make yourself safer as a pedestrian:
Stop, look and listen
Don’t try to cross the road between parked cars
If possible, cross at a pedestrian crossing or traffic lights
Never cross at a bend
If there is a footpath use it
If there is no footpath, walk/run/jog on the right hand side of the road, facing oncoming traffic and keeping as close as possible to the side of the road
Walk no more than two abreast and if the road is narrow or there is heavy traffic, walk in single file
Increase your visibility
More than two-thirds of fatal pedestrian collisions happen at night. Although you can hear a car coming and see its lights, the driver may not see you (and certainly won’t hear you).
To protect yourself make sure you:
Always wear a pair of reflective armbands, high-visibility belt or other reflective or fluorescent clothing which will help you to be seen from a distance
Carry a torch on country roads
