Landowners Urged to Cut Overgrown Hedges to Improve Road Safety

The Road Safety Authority (RSA), the County and City Management Association (CCMA) and the Irish Road Haulage Association (IRHA) have come together to call on landowners to cut their hedgerows to ensure they are not causing a road safety hazard.  

Hedges can be cut between 1 September and the end of February. Under the Wildlife Act 1976, hedge-cutting is prohibited from 1 March to 31 August , except in cases where overgrowth poses a road safety hazard.  

Properly maintained hedges ensure vulnerable road users are not forced onto the road by overgrown hedges. It additionally affords motorists a clear view of what is in front of them or around a bend, especially on rural roads in the case of sightlines at junctions or obstructions to road signs. 

Sarah O’Connor, Director of Partnerships and External Affairs with the RSA said: “Overgrown hedgerows can pose a road safety hazard. We all have a role to play in making roads safer, and landowners must take responsibility. Inaction could endanger lives." 

Landowners should act now to ensure compliance and prevent potential enforcement actions by local authorities. 

Barry Kehoe is Chair of the County and City Management Association (CCMA) Transport, Infrastructure and Networks Committee and is Chief Executive of Westmeath County Council. He said: “Local authorities have an important role to ensure that roadside verges are maintained and that local road safety issues are dealt with, whilst also recognising the importance of hedgerows and biodiversity. Landowners and anyone living along the roadside have a responsibility to check that hedges and 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.” 

Results from a 2024 Ipsos B&A survey of professional drivers, commissioned by the RSA, found that 75% of 620 HGV drivers surveyed reported overgrown roadside hedgerows to be challenging while driving. 

 The Irish Road Haulage Association (IRHA) also urged landowners to consider both truck and trailer height when cutting back hedgerows.  “Overgrown hedgerows pose a serious hazard to all road users, particularly for high-sided vehicles such as trucks,” said Ger Hyland, President of the IRHA. “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. We urge landowners to take action and ensure hedgerows are trimmed back, not just at the roadside, but also at the necessary height – over 4 metres to accommodate our larger vehicles.” 

Notes

Section 70 of the Roads Act 1993 places responsibility for the maintenance of roadside hedges on the owners/occupiers of the adjoining lands. The responsibility for the maintenance of roadside verges rests with the Local Authority. The season for hedge cutting under the Wildlife Acts starts from the 1 September to the 28 February the following year. It is not permitted to cut hedgerows outside of these dates. The only exception to this is if there are grounds to act for road safety reasons.