A Galway councillor is calling for the same safety requirements now imposed on e-scooter users to be extended to cyclists.
Galway City Councillor Alan Cheevers said cyclists should also be required by law to wear helmets and high-visibility clothing following the introduction of new e-scooter regulations this September.
Cllr Cheevers argued that cyclists travelling at night without lights or while wearing dark clothing pose a significant road safety risk, particularly as cycling remains a common mode of transport.
“I believe it is now time to bring forward legislation that would make helmets and high-visibility clothing mandatory for cyclists,” he said.
“Too many cyclists, in my view, are not taking sufficient personal responsibility for their own safety, and we need to do more to protect vulnerable road users.
“As a motorist, if I were to collide with a cyclist who was difficult to see because they had no lights and were wearing dark clothing, I could potentially be held responsible, despite the cyclist not taking basic precautions to make themselves visible.
“Cyclists have every right to use our roads, but with that right comes a responsibility to take reasonable steps to ensure they can be seen and to protect themselves.”
Among the new regulations introduced on September 4, e-scooter users are required to be at least 16 years old and cannot operate e-scooters capable of speeds exceeding 20km/h on public roads.
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