Tag Archives: road safety

TWO children have been knocked down in the Inis Orga estate in Sixmilebridge, and this week’s meeting of Shannon Municipal District Councillors heard a call from Councillor John Crowe for more safety measures. In a motion to the meeting he said, “I am requesting this Council provide speed ramps/traffic calming measures at Inis Orga, Sixmilebridge, Co Clare. This is a busy estate and two children have been knocked down here.” However the written reply prepared by Senior Executive Engineer Tom Mellett was not particularly encouraging. “The initial 70m of this road would benefit from some form of traffic calming. The Municipal District does not have a budget to cover this type of work and so a funding application for Low Cost Safety Improvements will need to be submitted to Transport Infrastructure Ireland in an effort to obtain adequate funds. We will look to see what avenues are available to us to secure funding.” Councillor Crowe said that he has had …

A ROAD safety assessment for the village of Quin is being sought, after numerous concerns were flagged by local councillors. The matter was raised at the most recent meeting of the Killaloe Municipal District Committee by Councillor Alan O’Callaghan, who tabled a motion calling for the assessment to be carried out. The Fianna Fáil member noted that Quin has been brought back under the remit of the Killaloe Municipal District since the boundary changes came into effect this year. “When Quin was in the Ennis District, there was a draft plan for traffic and I would like to see if that can now be progressed under our remit,” he told the meeting. The Kilmurry native acknowledged the work done already in the village in terms of pedestrian access and safety. “Lots of good work has been done around the area of Quin Abbey and the bridge,” he said. “There are a number of outstanding matters and there is a very …

SAFETY concerns over a junctions on the main arterial route into East Clare have been raised by local representatives who have described it as one of the most dangerous in the county. Henchy’s Cross on the R352, close to Clooney, was described by the Cathaoirleach of the Killaloe Municipal District as a “blackspot” and the site of a number of accidents. Councillor Pat Hayes told the most recent meeting of the area committee that it is time for the authority to take action, now that responsibility for the location has come back into the Killaloe district. “This crossroads is one of the most frequently used junctions onto the R352 and it’s also one of the most dangerous,” the Fianna Fáil member told the meeting. “It has been the scene of several accidents and I have had one myself at this location. It’s a danger for those coming out onto the main road, as well as for those using the R352, …

A CALL has come from the new Cathaoirleach of the West Clare Municipal District for local and secondary roads to be given back to local communities to provide safe places for people to cycle between local towns and villages. Councillor Joe Garrihy told the June meeting of the district that, during lockdown, record numbers of people had been able to safely walk and cycle and get to know their localities. “I saw people of every age out cycling,” he said. “My 14 year-old son learned how to cycle on roads he wouldn’t have been able to travel previously. We are all aware of how dangerous North Clare roads can be. Lately, people have been able to cycle and walk in a safe manner. We also have a vast number of roads in the district which poses a challenge in terms of maintenance.” Reacting to a council response outlining the complexity of making his motion a reality, Councillor Garrihy said he …

AN Garda Síochána have issued an appeal for this Bank Holiday weekend urging road users to slow down and never drive under the influence. The Gardaí will be carrying out extensive patrols and checkpoints over the Bank Holiday weekend, as the weekend’s enforcement activities will specifically target and focus on off-peak hours (10pm to 6am) where recent studies have shown that 75% of fatalities were found to return positive toxicology results for alcohol. This October bank holiday weekend Gardaí will carry out high visibility patrols and checkpoints across the roads network and are appealing to motorists not to drive under the influence of an intoxicant and to reduce speed. Speaking at yesterday’s media briefing Chief Superintendent Paul Cleary said, “This bank holiday weekend we want to keep people safe on our roads. Gardaí will be out in force with high visibility patrols and checkpoints and we would be appealing to people not to drive under the influence of an intoxicant …

IMPROVEMENT works and safety measures are to be considered and put in place to slow down traffic at Kilkishen National School, after a petition was submitted to members of the Killaloe Municipal District. Councillor Alan O’Callaghan called on Clare County Council to carry out works at the school to slow traffic, in the interest of the health and safety of children. At last week’s meeting of the municipal district, a petition with approximately 80 signatures was handed in on behalf of locals who were confirming these concerns. Responding, Hugh McGrath, senior executive engineer, said, “It is accepted that there are safety concerns at this location relating to traffic in the vicinity of the school. We are to carry out improvement works to the road surface at this location in the coming months.” In advance of the works, Mr McGrath said the local authority will give consideration to any measures that may improve road safety at this location in consultation with …

Gardaí in Clare detected a motorist driving 52km/h above the speed limit along the N17. The car was found travelling at 152km/h in a 100km/h zone. Details of the speeding detection were released by An Garda Síochána, ahead of a national speed enforcement operation this weekend. The operation, known as Slow Down Day, is supported by the Road Safety Authority and other stakeholders, and will take place for a 24-hour period, from 7am on Friday to 7am on Saturday. The objective of the operation is to reduce the number of speed-related collisions, save lives and reduce injuries on our roads. The aim of Slow Down Day 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. In terms of road safety, 2017 was the lowest on record, with 157 road deaths. Excessive and inappropriate speed is a major contributory factor in road traffic collisions. …

Bishop Fintan Monahan has urged all road users to take extra care this October bank holiday weekend. After 12 noon mass on Sunday, he will lead a ‘Blessing of the Roads’ ceremony in the Cathedral of Saints Peter and Paul in Ennis and offer prayers for the safety of all road users. Bishop Monahan has invited parishes in the Diocese of Killaloe to join with him in prayers over the weekend. Bishop Monahan said, “Statistics indicate that bank holiday weekends can be high risk times on our roads. I am aware that many county councils and civic groups and especially the Road Safety Authority, work very hard to promote safety on the roads. But the reality is that we all share this responsibility to protect human life on our roads. “Up to this morning (Friday) 125 people have died this year on roads across the State. While the trend is down from the 160 deaths this time last year, it …