The Road Safety Authority (RSA) and the County and City Management Association (CCMA) are calling on landowners to cut their hedgerows before the March 1 deadline, to ensure road safety.
The RSA stated that properly maintained hedges “protect” vulnerable road users who are not forced onto the road by overgrown hedges and benefit motorists by giving them a clear view of what is in front of them or around a bend.
Chief executive of the RSA, Sam Waide said: “Road safety is a shared endeavour, and it is important that landowners remain alert and take responsibility for maintaining hedgerows.
“We will only make our roads a safer place if we all take as much care as possible for what happens on the roads.”
Hedgerows
Under the Wildlife Act, it is an offence to destroy vegetation on uncultivated land between March 1 and August 31 each year.
However, there are some exemptions for the act, which include:
- The destruction, in the ordinary course of agriculture (including horticulture) or forestry, of any vegetation growing on or in any hedge or ditch;
- The clearance of vegetation in the course of road or other construction works or in the development or preparation of sites on which any building or other structure is intended to be provided;
- The felling, cutting, lopping, trimming or removal of a tree, shrub, hedgerows or other vegetation, which are causing road safety concerns.
Local authorities can either take direct action themselves or serve a notice on the landowner to do something in such instances.
Chair of CCMA, John McLaughlin said: “Landowners and anyone living along the roadside has a responsibility to check that hedges or trees on their property are not causing a road safety hazard.
“If they are, the landowners should take the necessary steps needed to ensure road safety. We are also calling on members of the public to report road safety issues caused by overgrowth to their local authority, which can then contact the landowner.”