John’s high-vis message goes online

TWO lucky escapes on the county’s roads have prompted local business man, John O’Connor to put safety first, and he is encouraging others to follow suit.
John, from Custy’s Music Shop has just launched a new website www.safeandseen.net, showcasing a variety of innovative equipment sourced from all over the world designed to help walkers and cyclists be safe.
He has also begun speaking to schools about the importance of being safe on the roads, especially with the evenings drawing in.
“I have four kids and everybody wants their kids to be able to walk safely and be seen, especially in winter. And kids pass the safety message onto their parents so hopefully it will spread,” he said.
This isn’t the first time John has branched out from the music business to promote safety. Last year, he sourced a novel shoe cover, which allowed locals to get to grips with the icy conditions.
“This new venture is really a progression on that safety theme. And if it even saves half an injury, it will be worth it. I do a lot of cycling and walking and there are serious problems out there with people not being seen on the roads,” he said.
“Two incidents really got it across to me that we need something that will make people a lot more visible on the roads. One night last year, I was cycling home and my rucksack was on my back, covering my reflector. I was going over Droichead na Gabhair bridge and a car nearly took me out, he didn’t see me and I was thrown into a ditch. I got a big fright.
“Then another time I was going home near Fountain Cross and I turned a bend and nearly collided with a man who had a dirty high vis jacket on and was walking his dog and talking on a mobile phone. I just avoided him and nearly hit an oncoming car.”
He began researching ways of making pedestrians and cyclists safer and came across a host of innovations including solar powered rechargeable high visibility products.
“They are unusual and I certainly haven’t seen them anywhere else. They are well priced, not beyond the means of anyone. They would suit anybody who goes out into the open and who has an appreciation for the continuation of life. We are going into three months of more or less total darkness where people just aren’t seen. There is a lack of common sense out there where you have cyclists and walkers camouflaged into the darkness. It’s amazing what can be seen from a long distance away with these products and it’s all about being visible,” he said.