Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 16 December 2025
328. Deputy Paul Murphy asked the Minister for Transport the measures his Department is taking to promote pedestrian safety and increased visibility to road users during the winter months; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [72302/25]
View answerProtecting vulnerable road users is a key priority for me and this government. This year we have seen too many pedestrians lose their lives on our roads. Working with all road safety stakeholders, I am determined to reduce the number of deaths and serious injuries on our roads.
It is the policy of both the Government and the RSA to recommend the use of high-visibility vests and armbands by vulnerable road users. To support this, the RSA has been running the ‘Be Safe, Be Seen’ campaign for over a decade to support road safety for pedestrians, cyclists, and motorists.
As part of this campaign, the RSA distributes thousands of free high-visibility vests and armbands each year. In 2025 alone, I am informed that the RSA distributed approximately 250,000 high-vis safety items, including jackets, vests, armbands, drawstring bags, rucksack covers and running bibs.
There has been a significant increase in spending on public awareness, communications and education campaigns by the RSA in 2025 in recent years. Next year, the RSA will again ringfence significant funding of approximately €18 million for awareness, education and promotional campaigns. This will ensure a continued focus on campaigns that make our roads safer for all road users, including pedestrians.
The RSA aired its older pedestrian safety TV-led campaign in September, ahead of the time of the year where increases in pedestrian fatalities tend to occur. The campaign reminders motorists and pedestrians to look out for each other to keep each other safe and shows an interaction between a pedestrian and a motorist at a pedestrian crossing. The campaign is supported by radio, digital audio, video on demand and social media.
Vulnerable road users including pedestrians were also the focus of the RSA’s October bank holiday media campaign with national and radio press engagement. The activity ran across today FM, NewsTalk, classic hits, spin southwest, Beat and 98Fm with presenters voicing stings and promos. It also ran across NewsTalk and Today Fm websites and social media channels, reminding motorists to look out for vulnerable road users and also reminding pedestrians, cyclists, motorcyclist and e-scooterists what they can do to help make sure they are seen.
The RSA is supporting An Garda Síochána’s social media campaign raising awareness that 4 in 10 pedestrians were killed this year in hours of darkness and reminding vulnerable road users including pedestrians to do what they can to help others see them on the roads.
The Government continues to support these campaigns and I would encourage all vulnerable road users to ensure that they are as safe as possible on our roads and to avail of these free high visibility safety materials.
