Tag Archives: Road Safety Authority

Parents in Clare are being urged to have their child’s car seat checked, as research from the Road Safety Authority (RSA) indicates that as many as four out of five child car seats are incorrectly fitted. The RSA Check it Fits service will be visiting locations across the county from Wednesday, August 5 to Friday, August 7, where child car seat installation experts will be available to ensure car seats and restraints are correctly fitted. The service takes between 10-15 minutes, is free of charge and offers parents and guardians reassurance that their child is safe while travelling in the car. Since Check it Fits began in October 2013, the RSA service has checked over 8,000 child car seats and restraints. Of these, 82% required some adjustment. Worryingly, 75% of seats required a major adjustment, of which 4% were deemed not fit for purpose and condemned, meaning they have the potential to cause injury or even death in the event …

The Road Safety Authority (RSA) and An Garda Síochána have jointly launched the August Bank Holiday Road Safety Campaign, as road fatality figures show that over the past five years (2010 to 2014), 12 people have been killed and 27 people have been seriously injured on Irish roads over this period. The focus of this year’s campaign is driver fatigue and to raise awareness of the dangers of driving while tired, the RSA will be screening a new TV ad campaign ‘Signs’ in the lead-up to the bank holiday weekend. It is estimated that driver fatigue is a contributory factor in as many as one in five driver deaths in Ireland every year. Furthermore, tiredness-related collisions are three times more likely to be fatal or result in a serious injury because of the high impact speed and lack of avoiding action. A survey of drivers’ attitudes to driver fatigue conducted by the RSA in 2014 revealed that over one in …

The Road Safety Authority (RSA) and the gardaí have appealed to drivers, in the run up to the June Bank Holiday weekend to save lives by going easy on the accelerator. The organisations have asked drivers not only to reduce speed but to always drive at a speed appropriate to all the prevailing conditions. Over 70,000 speeding offences have already been detected in 2015. Nearly 80% of those detections were for speeds between 10 and 29 km/h over the posted speed limit. A further 10% were in excess of 30 km/h over the posted speed limit. Figures show that the June Bank Holiday has consistently been the starting point for what is traditionally the most dangerous period on Ireland’s roads – summertime. In the last five years, 256 people have died in June, July and August. Over the next three months it is possible therefore that 51 lives could be lost in crashes on the nation’s roads. Minister for Transport …

Over the weekend and into St Patrick’s Day, An Garda Síochána and the Road Safety Authority have cautioned all road users, but in particular drivers and pedestrians, to act responsibly and show restraint. “With many schools closed, many families will take the opportunity to travel to different parts of the country over the next few days. It is every road users responsility to ensure that the roads are safe for all,” Chief Superintendent Mark Curran, Garda National Traffic Bureau said. To date, 29 people have tragically lost their lives on Irish roads, five road deaths less than this date last year. 196 people lost their lives on Irish roads in 2014. Newly released figures show that over the past five years, on average, twice as many drivers have been arrested on suspicion of drink or drug driving on both St Patrick’s Day and the day after, compared to any other day in the month of March. In addition, 15 people lost their lives and a further …

The Road Safety Authority (RSA), is asking road users to exercise caution, as Met Éireann have issued an orange weather warning of strong winds for Clare, Limerick, Leitrim, Sligo, Cork and Kery until Saturday evening. Southwesterly winds reaching mean speeds of 65 to 80 km/h and gusts of 110 to 130 km/h likely. High ground and exposed coasts will be most at risk. A forecast of strong and gusty winds with mean speeds of 55 to 75 km/hr with gusts of 85 to 100 km/hr have also been issued to counties Galway, Mayo and Donegal for the same period.

The Road Safety Authority has renewed its appeal for all road users to take extra care, following the deaths of four young women in a crash near Athy, County Kildare on Tuesday night. The RSA recently expressed serious concern following a rise in road deaths in 2014, the second consecutive yearly increase in deaths. It’s been an equally tragic and poor start for road safety in 2015. Ms Moyagh Murdock, CEO, RSA said, “Already we have lost six lives on the country’s roads in the first seven days of 2015. It’s been an appalling start to the year and mirrors exactly the situation at same time last year. If anything should come from such loss of life, it’s that it may serve as a reminder to us all that using the road is the most dangerous thing we do every day. All it takes is a split second for a situation to turn to tragedy. “I would appeal to all …

The Road Safety Authority’s end of year report shows that for the second consecutive year, deaths resulting from road traffic collisions on Irish roads have increased. A total of 196 people have lost their lives in 2014, compared to 190 in 2013, a 3% rise. However, it represents a 21% increase when compared to the 162 road deaths that occurred in 2012, the safest year on Irish roads. Ms Liz O’Donnell, chairperson, RSA, said, “196 precious lives ended on our roads in 2014. That’s six more than last year. These people are gone forever. For their loved ones they are not consigned to year end statistics.” Appealing to all road users Ms. O’Donnell added, “There are small changes we all can make which are guaranteed to prevent collisions. Guaranteed to reduce consequences. And to reduce the number of tragedies on our roads, from the very moment we begin to make those changes. So I appeal to all road users in …

The Road Safety Authority today (Wednesday) is renewing its appeal for road users to be aware of the dangers posed by dense fog, following an updated Orange Weather Warning from Met Éireann. The warning’s in place for Cavan, Monaghan, Donegal, Dublin, Kildare, Longford, Louth, Westmeath, Meath, Leitrim and Roscommon today until tomorrow morning but other areas might also be affected. Moyagh Murdock, CEO, Road Safety Authority said, “Heavy fog seriously reduces your visibility and makes driving very dangerous. Our advice is to switch on dipped headlights and fog lamps, reduce your speed and keep a safe distance from the vehicle in front. If the fog closes in, reduce your speed further and take your time getting to your destination. Open your window a little so you can listen out for other road users, particularly at junctions. Vulnerable road users should avoid, cycling or walking in fog unless it is a necessity.” All road users are advised to listen to weather …