(Cavan): Section 59 is the section which enables the Minister to make various regulations dealing with the control of traffic and pedestrians. It replaces a section of the 1961 Act under which the Commissioner of the Garda Síochána, after consultation with various people, was empowered to make bye-laws, as I think they were called in that section. I should like the Minister to tell us why he considers it more desirable that these regulations should be made by the Minister under the new section rather than by the Commissioner of the Garda Síochána under section 88 of the Road Traffic Act, 1961.
When dealing with regulations or bye-laws—call them what you will— dealing with the control of traffic and pedestrians, I should like to take the opportunity to refer to a matter that probably has already been dealt with but which, in my opinion, merits further emphasis, that is, regulations for the safety of pedestrians. Many of the fatal accidents of which we read in the newspapers or hear about on television or radio concern pedestrians. Frequently we hear that a person who has been killed in a road traffic accident was a pedestrian. I believe that these fatal accidents to pedestrians occur because motorists do not see the pedestrians. I am convinced that pedestrians do not realise the risk involved in walking on concrete roads at night without having on some luminous apparel to make them clearly visible to motorists.
Anybody who has experience of driving a motor car knows how often a driver sees a pedestrian at the last moment. This is a difficult matter to explain. There may be black spots on the road; the motorist may be blinded by the lights of an oncoming car. Whatever the reason is, one thing is certain, that is, that a number of pedestrians are killed simply because the motorists in question do not see them. I am convinced that many more pedestrians would be killed, were it not for the Providence of the Almighty. They are saved by a miracle.
I do not know whether or not regulations exist making the wearing of scotchlight belts or other luminous apparel obligatory. I do not think that such regulations are in existence but I do think that the Minister has already the power to make such regulations. I also know that it would be, perhaps, in the beginning a considerable inconvenience to pedestrians to have to wear this protective—and protective is the word —belt or identification mark at night but it would be worth while. I do notice the occasional pedestrian already wearing the scotchlight type of belt and, of course, it is worn by the gardaí. The fact that some people are wearing them indicates that people do realise the risk involved to a pedestrian at night. It is amazing to see people walking at night on the lefthand side of the road, not moving one way or the other, wearing dark clothes, giving no indication to motorists of their presence. That may be because they imagine that because of the powerful headlights on cars motorists must see them, that they stand out in the lights. As I have said, motorists know that very often they see a pedestrian at the last moment and in fatal cases the motorists just do not see them.
Therefore, I should like strongly to recommend to the pedestrian public that they should wear this luminous type of clothing or belt and I would recommend to the Minister that he should seriously consider introducing regulations of the type I have mentioned for the protection of pedestrians.
