CLARE Gardaí are appealing to all motorists to exercise extra caution as more people return to work after lockdown, while many cyclists and pedestrians are also taking to the roads.
The issue, which has been raised by a number of councillors across the county, has received increased attention since Phase Three of the roadmap to re-opening the economy and the lifting of restrictions on travel. Sergeant Tríona Brooks of Ennis Garda Station outlined a number of concerns being seen since large volumes of traffic returned to the roads.
“Travel restrictions within the country have been lifted and we can all see extra volumes of traffic on our roads,” she said. “We are urging drivers to slow down and drive at an appropriate speed, ensure that everyone in your vehicle is wearing their safety belt, make sure that all children are in a suitable safety seat and never ever drive after consuming alcohol or drugs.”
“Drivers should pay attention to the speed limit signs on all roads but especially on entering built up areas. Drivers are urged to slow down and to remember that a speed limit is a legal maximum not a target and that it may not be appropriate when other conditions are taken into account. These conditions include road type, weather conditions, traffic volumes.
“Using your mobile phone while driving makes you four times more likely to crash but people continue to text, make phone calls and check their social media.”
Sergeant Brooks also appealed to those on foot or on bikes to be more vigilant about their safety over the coming weeks and months.
“So many people are taking their daily exercise going for a walk, run or cycle,” she noted. “Gardaí are also urging people to make sure that they are wearing high viz clothing right throughout the, day but especially during hours of darkness. Be very careful if you are stepping off the footpath or out onto the roadway to social distance from another person that it is safe to do so and that you are not stepping out into the path of an oncoming vehicle.”
Fiona McGarry
A native of Ennis, Colin McGann has been editor of The Clare Champion since August 2020. Former editor of The Clare People, he is a journalism and communications graduate of Dublin Institute of Technology.