Tag Archives: Road Safety Authority

GARDAÍ in Clare are urging people to stay cautious on their staycation. With holiday makers looking forward to a summer break at home, the Road Safety Authority and An Garda Síochána have launched a campaign urging road users to ensure that they stay safe on the road. “We want people to enjoy their summer holidays. If you are planning a staycation, please ensure you plan your journey in advance, take frequent breaks and do not allow any distractions while driving. Ensure everyone in your vehicle is wearing their safety belt and make sure all children are in a suitable safety seat,” says Clare Crime Prevention Officer Sergeant Triona Brooks. “Be mindful of vulnerable road users, such as pedestrians, horse riders, cyclists and motor cyclists. Park safely and legally when visiting beaches, beauty spots as well as other public amenities. Parking illegally can lead to unnecessary risk and dangers such as forcing pedestrians to walk on busy roads. It is important …

Raising road safety awareness and reducing the number and severity of road traffic collisions on Clare’s roads is the objective of an event in the public car park at Glór, Ennis, next week. The roadshow will include a roll-over simulator demonstrating what it is like to be involved in a car crash, first hand accounts from emergency first responders and an interactive shuttle featuring driving, motorbike and bicycle simulators, reaction timers, Driver Theory Test computers, and screens showing road safety advertisements. Organised by the Clare Road Safety Action Group, comprising Clare County Council, An Garda Síochána, HSE, Road Safety Authority, Clare Civil Defence and Clare County Fire & Rescue Service, it is open to all. On Wednesday morning, hundreds of secondary school students will witness the full horror of a road crash at a simulation aimed at showing teenagers the human tragedy behind the statistics. The demonstration is targeted at young people who are about to embark on their driving careers or who …

Bishop Fintan Monahan has invited parishes in the Diocese of Killaloe to pray for safety on our roads, especially over the bank holiday weekend. Bishop Fintan Monahan said, “I am aware that many county councils and civic groups, especially the Road Safety Authority, work very hard to promote safety on the roads. But in truth we all share this responsibility to protect human life on our roads. Road safety awareness is the parable of the Good Samaritan in action within our communities today. I am thinking here of all road users: motorists, motorcyclists, cyclists and pedestrians, and we all have a role in helping each other even if we do not know one another personally. “Up to this morning, 159 people have died already on our roads this year, and this figure is up from 127 deaths this time last year. This loss of human life is heart-breaking for the loved ones of the deceased and a tragedy for our …

A GARDA national speed enforcement operation, “Slow Down”, supported by the Road Safety Authority and other stakeholders, will run for a 24 hour period from 7am on this Friday to 7am on Saturday. The objective is to reduce the number of speed related collisions, save lives and reduce injuries on our roads.  The aim of “Slow Down” is to remind drivers of the dangers of speeding, increase compliance with speed limits and act as a deterrent to driving at excessive or inappropriate speed. Although 2015 saw a very welcome reduction in road deaths, resulting in 162 road deaths, the joint lowest on record, there has been a marked increase in road deaths in 2016. Excessive and inappropriate speed is a major contributory factor in road traffic collisions, further confirmed by the recent RSA report on fatal collisions between 2008 and 2012 which found that excessive speed was a contributory factor in one third of all fatal collisions during that time. The …

As part of National Bike Week, the Road Safety Authority (RSA) has unveiled a series of online videos aimed at promoting awareness and safety among cyclists and other road-users. Using new technology to give viewers a 360 degree look at dangerous driving from a cyclist’s point of view, the videos allow the users to ‘look around’ and experience the dangers for themselves. The videos focus on the high risk behaviours that put vulnerable cyclists in danger, such as drivers not allowing enough space when overtaking, opening a car door without checking, or making a left turn when a cyclist is approaching. As the viewer changes their viewpoint, they can look at the action from another angle, see the dangers and risks of dangerous driving behaviour, and experience the shock that comes with them. Moyagh Murdock, chief executive, Road Safety Authority said, “Cyclists are among our most vulnerable road-users, yet many drivers do not demonstrate enough caution and awareness when sharing …

The Road Safety Authority (RSA) and the Irish Farmers Association (IFA) have urged road users to take extra care as the number of tractors, trailers and other farm machinery using the roads increases. The appeal comes as farmers avail of the improved weather conditions to bring in silage. In an effort to raise awareness of the likely increase in agricultural traffic using the roads and the need for all road users to take extra care, the RSA and IFA will be broadcasting their 30-second radio advert on national and local media this week. The advert reminds all drivers and those driving agricultural vehicles to use common sense and share the road responsibly. Moyagh Murdock, CEO, SRA, said “This is a busy time of year for farmers. The number of tractors and trailers out using the roads will increase dramatically over the next few weeks. As a result the risk of a collision involving a road user and farm machinery will …

An Garda Síochána, will conduct a national speed enforcement operation “Slow Down”, supported by Clare County Council, the Road Safety Authority and other stakeholders for a 24-hour period from 7am on Friday next to 7am on Saturday. The objective of the initiative is to reduce the number of speed-related collisions. The higher the speed, the greater the likelihood is of a collision happening and the more severe the outcome of that collision. As a general rule a 1% reduction in average speed will bring about a 4% reduction in fatal collisions, and this is why reducing motorists’ speed is essential to improving road safety. The “Slow Down” operation will consist of high-visibility speed enforcement activities as well as the delivery of a road safety message through the media. In addition, Garda personnel will man display stands at key venues to provide road safety advice and distribute road safety leaflets.

Ennis and Clare motorists are being advised to check their car or vehicle tyres monthly, as a Road Safety Authority report identifies defective tyres, including low tyre pressure, as a very significant factor in road deaths. Defective tyres are one of the most significant factors causing road fatalities, according to Ennis Fine Gael councillor, Johnny Flynn. A former chief fire officer, he said improving awareness around safety on our roads is an ongoing priority. The RSA report shows that vehicle factors played a role in one in eight fatal collisions during the period between 2008 and 2012. Defective tyres represented almost two thirds of the vehicle factors identified. The recently published report is the first of its kind to be launched in Ireland, and it analyses An Garda Síochána’s Forensic Collision Investigation reports. According to Councillor Flynn, “This report paints a stark picture of the causes of road fatalities in Ireland. In a four-year period between 2008 and 2012, 983 …