Sir, – Now that helmets and hi-vis clothing are to become compulsory for e-scooter users (with hi-vis becoming mandatory even in broad daylight), along with a demand in some quarters that similar measures be extended to bicycle and e-bike users, it is surely time to ask whether pedestrians should also be added to the list, as they are similarly vulnerable to death and injury on the roads?
It might be argued that this should be more relevant to rural pedestrians who don’t benefit from footpaths, street-lighting and lower speed limits. However, various data sources show that pedestrian deaths caused by drivers are approximately equal on rural and urban roads, with serious injuries being much more prevalent in urban areas.
If reason and data were applied to this particular road safety issue, these measures would be applied to pedestrians. However, reason and data are not the main driving forces: rather, the need to be seen to do something, while upsetting the least number of people and avoiding having to address the real causes, has resulted in an expedient response.
Therefore, while pedestrians will remain highly vulnerable, they will be safe from the safety measures being applied to the low-hanging fruit of vulnerable road users. – Yours, etc,
RM Block
TOM DALY,
Killarney,
Co Kerry.
