Jan O'Sullivan (Limerick East, Labour)
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Question 85: To ask the Minister for Transport and the Marine his plans to amend legislation to make it a specific requirement of cyclists to wear high visibility clothing. [17899/07]

Noel Dempsey (Meath West, Fianna Fail)
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I have no legislative proposals under consideration that would make it compulsory for cyclists to wear reflective clothing at night. To make the wearing of reflective clothing mandatory would be to create a criminal offence under the Road Traffic Acts for any person who committed an offence for non-compliance with the regulatory provision to wear such clothing. Persons who would breach the provision would have to be issued with a fixed charge notice by a Garda or summonsed to court depending on whatever administrative procedure would be put in place for the processing of such offences.

The view of my Department is that safety issues such as these, are best promoted by way of educational and publicity campaigns, such as those undertaken by the Road Safety Authority (RSA). The safety of all road users is generally a matter of personal responsibility and in that context the Rules of the Road includes a strong recommendation supporting the wearing by pedestrians, of light coloured outer clothing and a reflective armband outside urban areas at night and by cyclists of a reflective armband and a Sam Browne reflectorised belt.