Tag Archives: Road Safety Authority

The Road Safety Authority (RSA) is warning road users today (Tuesday) of the dangers posed by dense fog following an Orange Weather Warning from Met Éireann, forecasting widespread fog across the country this evening. Dense fog will develop in many places tonight and will lead to greatly reduced visibilities and poor driving conditions. The fog is likely to clear only slowly during Wednesday. Advising road users 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 …

Clare parents are being advised they can have their child’s car seat checked free of charge, as research from the Road Safety Authority shows that as many as four out of five child car seats are incorrectly fitted nationwide. Since October 2013, the RSA’s Check it Fits Service has checked over 4,000 child car seats and restraints in Ireland. Of these, 83% required some adjustment. Worryingly, 79% of seats required a major adjustment of which 3% were deemed not fit for purpose and condemned, meaning they could have caused injury or even death in the event of a collision. To highlight the issue of child safety in cars in Clare, the Check it Fits’ team will check child car seats and restraints to ensure they are correctly fitted in the following locations: Queally SuperValu, Francis Street, Kilrush on Friday, November 7 from 10am to 5.30pm; Queally SuperValu, Convent Hill, Killaloe next day and Lynchs Centra, Gort Road, Ennis on Tuesday, November …

The Road Safety Authority is advising drivers and motorcycle riders to take extra care using the roads, as the dry weather spell breaks and heavy rain is expected across the country over the coming days. During a prolonged dry spell a build-up of oil and rubber deposit develops on the road. When the weather breaks, this deposit mixes with rainwater and the road becomes hazardous. The resulting greasy road surface increases stopping distances and the risk of a skid. Drivers and motorcycle riders can get caught out by this change in road conditions so the advice is to slow down and increase braking distance. Met Eireann are also warning that accumulations of rain water may lead to excess surface water on roads and some spot-flooding in places.

The number of road traffic deaths in Clare have dropped dramatically by 83% over a seven-year period, according to a new report. Roads deaths in Clare have been falling steadily since 12 people lost their lives in 2007. However, the Road Safety Authority (RSA) report also reveals  23 drivers, three motorcyclists, two cyclists and eight pedestrians have been killed on roads in the county since 2007. In 2013, Clare also ranked in top five safest counties with the fewest number of fatalities. The report, “2007 to 2013 road traffic deaths by user type and county”, highlights the reductions in road fatalities in Clare between 2007 and 2013. It shows there were seven road deaths in 2008 and 2009, four in 2010 and two in 2012 and 2013. Moyagh Murdock, chief executive of the Road Safety Authority said the reduction in the number of road deaths in Clare shows just what can be achieved when communities come together. “Change happens at …

A MULTI-AGENCY approach is being adopted to further improve safety on Clare’s roads, through the formulation of a new road safety strategy for the six-year period, 2014-2020. During the life of the previous six-year strategy, there was a 79% reduction in road fatalities in the county. Among the actions undertaken to reduce deaths on the roads was a series of public awareness campaigns, an increase in the garda presence and the introduction of GoSafe speed vans, a significant investment in the motorway network and improvements in the local road infrastructure. The public are being invited to have their say with the latest strategy, which is being being formulated by Clare County Council, supported by An Garda Síochána, the Fire Service and the Road Safety Authority. Mayor of Clare, Joe Arkins, commented, “We all use the roads every day, so we should all have a say in how we share the roads with each other and how we can work together …

THE  Road Safety Authority and An Garda Síochána have issued an appeal to motorcyclists, scooter and moped users to bike safely following an almost 70% rise in motorcycle rider fatalities in 2013 compared to the previous year. The increase represents an increase of 16 to 27 fatalities. To date this year, two motorcyclists have died on Irish roads. The appeal is being made ahead of the May Bank Holiday Weekend, as both the RSA, and gardaí are extremely concerned that the high casualty rate among motorcyclists could be repeated this summer. There were almost as many motorcyclists as pedestrians killed in 2013, a trend not previously observed, as pedestrian fatalities have typically been significantly higher than motorcyclist fatalities to date.  Motorcycle riders are being asked to be aware of their vulnerability on the roads, as research shows that motorcyclists are three times more likely to be killed on Irish roads than in any other EU country. A collision with a car …