High-vis vests worn by cyclists don't have any impact on the behaviour of motorists, one local councillor has claimed.
Social Democrats Galway City Councillor and founder of Galway Cycle Bus Alan Curran has said a suggestion that hi-vis clothes will keep children safe on roads needs to be challenged.
He told Newstalk Breakfast putting the onus for road safety on young children is 'misguided'.
"I suppose I'd just like to challenge the narrative that high-vis vests save people's lives," he said.
"The RSA have published a lot of research looking at the efficacy of high-vis vests, I don't think a lot of it adds up.
"There's a lot of research out there that shows that high-vis vests make people more visible, absolutely I'm not going to dispute that.
"My big concern is... I don't see how high-vis vests has any impact on the behaviour of motorists.
"In particular the campaign about dressing five and six-year-olds up like construction workers, and putting the onus on them to be responsible for their own safety I think is misguided."
People walking and cycling to work in Dublin city in September 2021. Image: Sam Boal/Rollingnews.ieCllr Curran said while there is an argument for high-vis clothing in more rural areas, it won't change anything
"In urban areas around schools, or on the way to schools, I don't think there's any responsibility to be placed on children walking to school," he said
"We've no evidence to show that it makes any difference in the Irish context.
"What I would say anecdotally for myself, and in the five years we've been running the Cycle Bus, and myself when I'm on my bike, we have seen no evidence that motorists act differently around groups of children cycling or walking," he added.
The Road Safety Authority (RSA) recommends that cyclists wear high visibility clothing and keep bicycle lights in good working order.
It also has specific advice for children:
