Road-users urged to get behind National Drive to Save Lives

30/09/2016

Motorcycle safety, tyre safety, driving for work and vulnerable road-user safety are the focus of this year’s ‘Irish Road Safety Week’ which will see a week of road safety activities taking place nationwide from Monday 3 October to Sunday 9 October. The Road Safety Authority (RSA) is calling on road-users to get involved in the ‘national drive to save lives’ and to find ways to be better, safer road-users.

To date this year, 139 people have been killed on Irish roads, an increase of 21 when compared to the same period last year. The RSA and its partners in road safety are reminding road-users that small changes to our behaviour on the roads can have a significant impact.

Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport Shane Ross TD said: “Unfortunately, 21 more people have been killed on our roads to date this year when compared to the same period last year. One of the ongoing challenges we face is complacency about our behaviour on the roads. However, the terrible tragedies we have seen, particularly over the past few weeks, should serve as a stark reminder to us all of how vulnerable we are when we use the roads. Irish Road Safety Week is an opportune time to look at how we use the roads and to ask ourselves what we can do to be better, safer road-users. So please, get involved in this national drive to save lives - your actions could help to save a life.”

‘Irish Road Safety Week’ will begin on Monday 3 October with the Annual Road Safety Academic Lecture which will be held in Farmleigh, Phoenix Park. The focus of this year’s lecture is ‘Motorcycle Safety’ and the RSA will present the fourth of its landmark reports on the causes of collisions between 2008 and 2012. ‘National Tyre Safety Day’, in association with the Irish Tyre Industry Association (ITIA), will take place on Wednesday 5 October with free tyre checks on offer in participating garages throughout the week. On Wednesday 5 October and Thursday 6 October, the RSA, Health and Safety Authority and An Garda Síochána will host two seminars on ‘Driving for Work’ in Cork and Dublin. On Friday 7 October, Beep Beep Day, which focuses on road safety for pre-schoolers, will take place in crèches and pre-schools around the country.

Ms Moyagh Murdock, Chief Executive, Road Safety Authority said: “There are just three months left in the year to reverse the road fatality trend we have seen so far this year. Road-users in Ireland should be proud of the efforts they have made in recent years to make Ireland one of the safest countries in the EU. Now it is up to each and every one of us to step up our efforts and to strive to be the safest country in the world in terms of road safety. It is possible, but only if we work together to find ways to reduce the risk of death and injury on our roads. Find out what’s happening in your local community, get involved and play your part in saving lives and preventing serious injuries on our roads.”

Chief Superintendent Aidan Reid, An Garda Síochána said: “This year, we are seeing a marked increase in road deaths compared to 2015. The provisional fatality figures show that more drivers and passengers are being killed on our roads. Using the roads is one of the most dangerous things we do every day so we need to ensure we are careful, responsible and considerate road-users at all times. During ‘Irish Road Safety Week’, make sure you play your part in keeping our roads safe. Get the basics right - don’t speed, wear your seatbelt every single time you get into the car, and never drink and drive. We want every road user to take personal responsibility for their behaviour.”

Below is a list of activities taking place during ‘Irish Road Safety Week’:

• Monday 3 October: the RSA will host its Annual Academic Lecture in the Ballroom Farmleigh, Phoenix Park. The theme of this year’s lecture is motorcycle safety where the RSA’s latest in-depth analysis of fatalities will be presented.
• Wednesday 5 October: The RSA and the Irish Tyre Industry Association (ITIA) will jointly run Tyre Safety Day where free tyre checks will be on offer to motorists in participating garages. More information is available on www.ITIA.ie . There will also be a tyre safety radio campaign airing during the week. A copy of ‘Your Guide to Tyre Safety’ which includes information on buying second hand tyres can be downloaded from www.rsa.ie  
• The RSA, HSA and An Garda Síochána are hosting a ‘Driving for Work’ Seminar on ‘Managing Driving for Work’ on Wednesday 5 October in Rochestown Park Hotel, Douglas, Co Cork from 8.30am to 1pm. Places are limited so email [email protected]  to register your pace by Friday 30 September.
• On Thursday 6 October, the RSA will air its 1.5 cycle safety radio edit to remind all motorists to give a 1.5 metre clearance when passing cyclists
• The second ‘Driving for Work’ Seminar hosted by the RSA, HSA and An Garda Síochána will be on Thursday 6 October in the Green Isle Hotel, Naas Road, Dublin from8.30am to 1pm. Places are limited so email [email protected]  to register your pace by Friday 30 September.
• National ‘Beep Beep Day’ takes place on Friday 7 October 2016. Beep Beep Day is a chance for pre-schoolers to get involved in road safety. Anyone who is interested in participating can place their orders through the RSA Online Orders system at www.rsa.ie There is a limited supply of stock so place your orders as soon as possible.
• During Irish Road Safety Week, the RSA will also be broadcasting its ‘Is Your Car Ready for Winter?’ radio ad to remind road-users to maintain their cars, especially in wet and windy weather.
• There will be free giveaways on the RSA’s Facebook and Twitter pages.

Check it Fits, the RSA’s free child car seat checking service, will be visiting Waterford during Irish Road Safety Week to give free car seat checks and advice to parents and guardians. It will be in Lisduggan S.C, Waterford Retail Park on Thursday 6 October and Super Valu, The Kilbarry Centre, Tramore Road on Friday 7 October from 10am to 5.30pm. More details are available at www.rsa.ie/checkitfits

In October, the RSA will also be distributing its ‘Back to School’ pack to secondary students, while Seatbelt Sheriff and Hi Glo Silver will be making an appearance at primary level.

Our National Road Safety Education Service will be travelling the length and breadth of the country, delivering road safety education programmes to crèches, schools, universities, workplaces and communities throughout the week.

To find out what else is planned for Irish Road Safety Week around the country, visit https://goo.gl/y1HRLX