Dangers of overgrown hedgerows highlighted by Laois President of the hauliers association

The Laois man at the helm of the Irish Road Hauliers Association has hit out at local authorities for not cutting back hedgerows. 

IRHA President Ger Hyland said overgrown hedges are blocking sightlines at junctions, obstructing road signs, and causing more accidents on the rural road network.  

According to the IRHA, a lack of hedgerow management is leading to a significant number of road traffic accidents on rural roads. They said their members are “sick and tired” of what they said was continual inaction in relation to dangerous tree branches and hedges protruding out onto the roads.

They have called on local authorities to ensure that roadside hedges are cut back, in particular at busy junctions. They urged local authorities to consider both truck and trailer heights when cutting back hedgerows and to cut up to four metres high. 

Overgrown hedgerows pose a particular danger for high-sided vehicles such as trucks, according to IRHA President Ger Hyland.

“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.”

“An average a medium sized haulier is losing two mirrors a week on their truck fleet. That is a cost of €1,000 euro a week due to mismanagement of our roadside vegetation.”  

Mr Hyland  said: "Overgrown hedges and briers present a clear danger for cyclists and pedestrians as they can push them out into traffic at the last minute. As of June 19th, 19 pedestrians and eight cyclists have already been killed on our roads in 2025."

He criticised local authorities for not enforcing the law around hedge cutting. Section 70 of the Roads Act 1993 sets out a clear responsibility on landowners to maintain roadside hedgerows but according to Hyland, enforcement is non-existent by our local authorities.

Hyland called on local authorities to be more proactive when engaging with local landowners who border our rural roads network.

He noted hedge-cutting is prohibited from 1 March to 31 August, but there is an exemption in cases where overgrowth poses a road safety hazard.

The IRHA said 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. 

Mr Hyland said that his organisation is very aware of the importance of hedgerows and biodiversity, but road safety must take priority.