Cycling without a helmet and high-vis clothing may be made criminal offences in Ireland Law areound cyclists being reviewed with e-scooter proposals for helmets and high-vis. Sen Canney, the Minister of State for road safety, is considering making it illegal to cycle without a helmet and high-vis on public roads in Ireland. It has already been reported by other media outlets that the Department of Transport was looking at compulsory helmets and high-vis for e-scooter users, but confirmation that the legal review also included bicycle users was outlined in an answer to a parliamentary question in recent days.Calls have been made over the years by politicians most often by local councillors in rural areas to make high-vis mandatory for a mix of pedestrians and cyclists, but this is usually rebuffed by the Department of Transport or even the RSA.In response to a previous call to make high-visibility clothing mandatory for people walking on rural roads in 2017, the then CEO of the Road Safety Authority (RSA), Moyagh Murdock, told politicians that we are reluctant to move in that direction. This is not a police state.However, a review of the law on cyclists seems to have been lumped in with a review of e-scooter users, where there is a clear intent to make helmet and high-vis clothing wearing mandatory for users of the devices. This week, a written parliamentary answer in the name of Minister for State, Sen Canney, said: The Department has begun examining this issue, with a view to considering mandating helmets for these and other vulnerable micromobility users, should the evidence support such a change, and I intend to bring forward proposals in this regard in the near future.The sentence was following a paragraph mentioning bicycles, e-bikes and scooters, and besides e-scooters, micromobility usually refers to bicycles and electric bicycles.It can also refer to other devices such as Segways and hoverboards, but these are not legally allowed on roads in Ireland. All higher-powered ebikes and light motorcycles already require helmets. This means that other vulnerable micromobility users refers to cyclists. Kevin Jennings, a spokesperson for the Irish Cycling Campaign, said the advocacy group Supports evidence-based decision making rather than vibes or populism, especially on an issue as serious as road danger reduction. Sometimes the evidence supports nuanced conclusions.A parent insisting that their child wear a helmet when learning to cycle is not a natural parallel to a state insisting on similar. It is a public good if people cycle, with benefits to the person cycling, to their community, to the shared environment and other road users, and most often overlooked by our health service, he said.He said that research from other countries has not supported helmet mandates because the marginal gains to the wearer in the event of a fall were outweighed by the discouragement of cycling.Jennings added: It is vital to be bright and to encourage riders to wear bright clothing and to be visible on the road. Some members would like to see hub dynamo lights included on all bikes, with the exception of sports performance bikes. We all need to look out for each other and to make ourselves seen. Mandating these things might be an over-reaction for very little gain; its a little bit like telling a person who is struggling with their heating bill to put on an extra jumper.Ciaran Cannon, the president of Cycling Ireland, who has previously been run over and seriously injured while wearing a yellow top, said: There is no credible evidence that mandatory hi-vis significantly reduces collisions or fatalities. Jurisdictions with the safest roads have achieved their outcomes not by criminalising people for what they wear, but by managing speed, designing safer streets and enforcing existing traffic laws.Mandating hi-vis for vulnerable road users shifts responsibility away from those operating the most dangerous vehicles and implies that injury results from a failure of visibility rather than from road design, driver behaviour or enforcement. It is a form of performative policymaking, a measure that creates the appearance of action while leaving the real sources of danger untouched, and it runs counter to the Vision Zero safe systems approach to road safety that Ireland claims to support, he said.Cannon said: In every other hazardous environment, particularly workplaces, we apply an internationally recognised hierarchy of controls: eliminating danger where possible, engineering risks out of the system and separating people from hazards. Only as a last resort do we rely on personal protective equipment. On our roads, we invert this logic entirely, skipping straight to: Be visible and Watch out.He added: High-visibility clothing can be useful and should be encouraged. However, if we are serious about saving lives on Irish roads, we should focus relentlessly on speed, street design and enforcement, not penalise people for what they wear.IrishCycle.com asked the Department of Transport late this afternoon whether, in addition to helmets, mandatory high-vis is also being considered for cyclists. The Department indicated it would likely not be in a position to reply before this article is published, but it is understood that the review, as with e-scooters, is around both types of personal protective equipment. The full parliamentary question and answer In the parliamentary answer published this week, the independent Minister for State, Canney, was responding to a parliamentary question from Tipperary North TD Ryan OMeara (Fianna Fail), who was only asking about the e-scooter legislation. Deputy OMeara asked when the review of current e-scooter regulations to make helmets and high-visibility clothing mandatory will commence; when this review will conclude; when the necessary changes will be implemented; and if he will make a statement on the matter.The written reply, signed off by Canney, said: The Government introduced regulations in 2024 to provide for the safe use of and technical specifications for e-scooters for use in public places. E-scooters may only be used on public roads if they comply with the 2024 Regulations and the rules of the road apply to e-scooters in the same way as bicycles.Under the 2024 Regulations, it is an offence for children under 16 to use e-scooters on public roads. This is an important road safety measure, enforcement of which is a matter for An Garda Siochana. Further regulations address road signs, location restrictions, detention and seizure powers for An Garda Siochana and fixed charge penalties, he said.Minister Canney said: Department officials engage regularly with An Garda Siochana on enforcement of e-scooter regulations. Officials have asked them to provide any suggestions or changes to legislation that would assist them in the fulfilment of their enforcement role.He outlined that protective equipment is currently strongly advised but not mandatory in Ireland for scooters, bicycles or e-bikes.Minister Canney added: The Department has begun examining this issue, with a view to considering mandating helmets for these and other vulnerable micromobility users, should the evidence support such a change, and I intend to bring forward proposals in this regard in the near future.Its a change from a parliamentary answer published on January 15, which only mentioned that the Department of Transport was considering mandatinghelmetsfor e-scooter users if the evidence supports such a change.A similar response was made in December by the Minister for Transport, Darragh OBrien. His written reply said: My officials meet regularly with An Garda Sochna to discuss matters related to road traffic legislation. As with any legislation, I consider feedback on its operation from An Garda Siochana and other stakeholders. On foot of such feedback, my officials intend to examine the issue of protective equipment for e-scooter users and to consider regulating for the mandatory use ofhelmets.
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