GARDAI have today
appealed to all road users in Inishowen to make
safety a priority this August bank holiday weekend.
Significant extra volumes of traffic are expected
this weekend as holidaymakers take to the roads on
one of the busiest weekends of the year.
Gardai urged passengers to "exercise peer pressure
on friends and family members" to persuade drivers
to slow down to reduce death and injury on the
roads.
So far this year at total of 116 people lost their
lives on Irish roads. The country's worst ever
crash, at Glasmullen, Drumfries, more than doubled
Donegal's road death toll so far this year. That
figure jumped horrifically overnight on July 11 from
six to 14.
At today's road safety appeal, Garda Assistant
Commissioner for Traffic, Kevin Ludlow, said: “I
earnestly appeal to everyone who feels their
personal safety is being put at risk by reckless
drivers to exercise the necessary peer pressure to
bring about a positive change in attitude and
behaviour. Don’t let someone else take your life in
their hands this bank holiday weekend. Let’s all
play our part and work together to improve safety on
our roads.”
He added: “An Garda Síochána are seriously concerned
about the 116 road fatalities so far this year. Some
70 of that 116 were in the 16 – 35 year age group.
The focus this bank holiday weekend will be on the
enforcement of drink-driving legislation, speeding,
wearing of seatbelts by all passengers and the use
of mobile phones while driving.”
According to Garda statistics, 261,568 vehicles were
processed through mandatory alcohol checkpoints so
far this year, with 674 positive breath tests
detected. In the same period 78,840 fixed charge
notices were issued for speeding offences and over
1.2 million vehicles were monitored by Garda speed
detector vans.
All road users are encouraged to report any
incidents of dangerous or reckless driving to
TRAFFIC WATCH on 1890 205 805. |
