Hauliers today (Monday, June 23) have warned that "a lack of hedgerow management" is causing road traffic accidents on rural roads.

According to the Irish Road Haulage Association (IRHA), overgrown hedges are blocking sightlines at junctions and obstructing road signs.

The IRHA also said its members are "sick and tired of continual inaction on dangerous tree branches and hedges" which it said has created a serious road safety hazard.

The association is now urging local authorities to ensure that roadside hedges are cut back, particularly at busy junctions.

Ger Hyland, IRHA president, said: “When hedges encroach onto the road, truck drivers are often forced to veer across the white line in order to avoid damage to their vehicles and wing mirrors, creating a dangerous situation for all road users.

"That is a cost of €1,000 a week due to mismanagement of our roadside vegetation."

The IRHA has also highlighted that overgrown hedges and briers present "a clear danger" for cyclists and pedestrians as they can push them out into traffic at the last minute.

Hyland today criticised local authorities for not enforcing the law around hedge cutting. 

He said section 70 of the Roads Act 1993 sets out a "clear responsibility" on landowners to maintain roadside hedgerows but, according to Hyland, its enforcement is "non-existent by our local authorities".

He is calling on local authorities to be more "proactive when engaging with local landowners who border our rural roads network".

The IRHA has acknowledged that hedge-cutting is prohibited from March 1 to August 31, but pointed to the fact that there is an exemption in place for cases where overgrowth poses a road safety hazard.

Hyland stressed today that while his organisation is "very aware" of the importance of hedgerows and biodiversity, hauliers believe that road safety must take priority.