Everybody outside of cars should be forced to wear high-vis; they are light and easy to carry, says rural councillor.Calls to make high-vis clothing compulsory for anyone outside a car have been growing in recent years the latest case this week is that Clare County Council have passed a motion calling on the Minister for Transport to make high-vis jackets mandatory for pedestrians and cyclists, with the threat of fines for anybody without one.Some readers in recent years have dismissed reports on this website about politicians and others seeking a blanket law requiring high-vis to be worn, but some politicians are being clearer that that is what they mean. When pushed, its also clear that many of the politicians havent given much thought to the practicalities of their suggested laws. The Road Safety Authority has also promoted the use of high-vis for pedestrians generally, with no focus on higher-risk or lower-light settings. While the body has not clearly called for mandatory high-vis, its recommendations even when theres little or no evidence to support them can affect court cases, especially liability outcomes.The motion passed this week by Clare councillors was proposed by Cllr Pat Burke (Fine Gael), who specifically said it should apply to pedestrians even on footpaths, and even in city centres. When a Clare FM reporter asked: Youd be talking about rural roads in particular, but also for people on footpaths, because you never know what kind of turn a car might take?, Cllr Burke responded: Exactly, particularly on rural roads where there are no street lights.This morning, when Newstalk Breakfast presenter Anton Savage questioned Cllr Burke on the details of his proposal, he gave an exasperated sigh and fobbed off the task of working out the details to national legislators to refine his suggestion. Cllr Burke said: I put down the motion because of having a close shave myself, I suppose, recently, where I find that people out walking in the evenings, they go off for their walk and it gets dark by the time they get home and they dont bother wearing a high-vis jacket and to me, that just beggars belief.When asked by presenter Savage whether it would mean youre out walking, and you dont have a high-vis, a guard pulls over and hands you a ticket? Cllr Burke hesitated and said: Sure, I dont know what way the legislation would cover it, but something along those linesSavage said: But its your motion, Pat. You must have thought that bit out?, to which the councillor said: Oh, I did, yeah, but Im hoping itll get enacted, you know, in peoples own interests. I dont think its fair on motorists in rural areas and on regional roads, and that to come around a bend and find somebody wearing dark clothes instead of putting on a high-vis jacket, which is no weight to carry obviously.When asked what punishment he would want for the crime of not wearing high-vis, Cllr Burke said: The same as not wearing a seatbelt, I suppose, or getting caught on your mobile phone or whatever, that they should be mandatory for everybody, its in everybodys interest and in the interest of safety for both, mainly pedestrians as opposed to cyclists. Now, the cyclists arent too bad, theyre inclined to wear them, and you know its just not fair on motorists in my opinion.The fine for holding a phone or not using a seatbelt is 120 and 3 penalty points.When questioned whether he meant on just certain roads or everywhere, Cllr Burke said: Oh, everywhere, everywhere.Savage said: Lets imagine, then, in the middle of winter you and I meet for a cup of coffee at half three and we get chatting and we stay until five oclock and I then say right time for me to walk home and I then get ticketed by a guard because its dark. Cllr Burke replied: Yes.He said: Its not as critical as in the countryside. When asked about the distance from a street light where the law would come into effect, he said: Were getting very technical now before reverting to having one rule for all: I suppose its difficult to have one law for one and one for the other, so thats why Id be saying if it has to be across the board.When pushed a little further on the issue, he then said that there might be some exception for cities, but only after being asked would it mean whether everybody walking through the city centre of every city in the country is going to get ticketed by the guards because theyre not wearing a high vis?Cyclists should be fined if they dont wear them too, said Cllr Burke, but he wont entertain a texters question on whether people going to nightclubs should bring their high-vis, because nightclubs are rare in rural Ireland now.