Drop Down Menu
  Search...
 

Save a life this Easter – don’t drink and drive 06.04.07

If you’re an Inishowen person who thinks it’s okay to drink and drive – think again.
Gardai will be cracking down on drunken drivers, dangerous drivers and speeding over the Easter Bank Holiday weekend.
Local officers warned that extra officers would be on the traffic beat with random checkpoints throughout the peninsula aimed at preventing accidents and saving lives.
“There will be extra resources in the area as there are during any bank holiday weekend.”
Many people will be on the move to visit family and friends for Easter. They have been asked to be vigilant and to take all necessary steps to ensure their safety and the safety of others.
“Speeding is the single greatest cause of deaths and injuries on our roads so drivers are urged to slow down. A 1km/h decrease in average speed results typically in a 3% decrease in road crash frequency,” said a spokesperson.
The second greatest cause of road deaths, which often combines speeding, is drink driving.
”But roadside alcohol screening in conjunction with evidential breath testing is helping to reduce road traffic casualties to a significant extent and enforcement will be kept at optimum levels.”
Holidaymakers have been urged to designate a driver or use public transport or taxis and hackneys if going out for a drink.
A total of 29 pedestrians have been killed, to date in 2007, on our roads compared to 21 for the same period last year.
Pedestrians are urged to wear high visibility clothing, walk facing oncoming traffic and use footpaths, pedestrian and designated crossings where available.
If you are going on a long journey, remember that tiredness can also contribute to road fatalities and injuries. “Motorists should plan all journeys and stop in a safe place if they feel at all tired and take a short nap or break away from the road.”

Return to > News