Tue, Apr 14, 2026
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Green Party Chair and Dublin City Councillor, Janet Horner, has welcomed a motion that would require HGVs to have wider lines of sight on city roads.
This comes in the wake of the death of Johnny Santos last week in Dublin’s inner city. The motion was passed and referred to the Mobility and Public Realm SPC chaired by Councillor Janet Horner.
Speaking on the urgent issue of road safety in the city, Cllr Horner said,
“So far in 2026, 3 people have lost their lives on the roads of Dublin City Council. We urgently need to look at all measures that we can to slow down traffic, make vehicles safer and protect people walking and cycling.”
The motion calls for heavy goods vehicles (HGVs) to meet minimum requirements of direct vision standard, meaning that drivers of HGVs can have a much wider line of sight of the immediate area outside their cab.
Cllr Horner continued,
“Currently HGVs have very significant blind spots which is why they are some of the deadliest vehicles on our roads. Other cities around Europe are now making it mandatory for all HGVs entering the city to have improved direct vision standards. There is no reason why Dublin shouldn’t do the same.”
“On a personal level, a friend of mine was knocked down by a HGV on the quays near Bachelor’s walk and suffered injuries that will last the rest of her life. When the case went to court, the driver was found innocent - he simply couldn’t see her on the road. Her road positioning was correct and legal but he still couldn’t see her. The fault was not with the driver, not with the cyclist, but with the design and that is something we urgently need to fix.”
She will now take this matter to the Mobility and Public Realm SPC which she chairs:
“I will ensure through the SPC that the Council acts. But I am also calling on the Minister to do so too. Safety standards for HGVs should be standardised across all of Ireland and it should not be for DCC alone to regulate. The Minister has shown little to no ambition for road safety in spite of rising levels of fatalities, including turning his back on the recommendations for reform of the RSA. He must act and provide more ambition for HGV safety.”