04 April 2012
iRadio launches campaign to encourage safe speeds
The appeal comes as figures reveal that in the period 2000 to 2011, 197 people were killed and seriously injured on Irish roads over the Easter Bank Holiday weekend. Penalty point figures show that speeding remains the highest penalty point offence with 649,714 penalty point notices issued to motorists up to 31st March 2012.
Mr Leo Varadkar TD, Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport called on all road-users to act responsibly on the roads this weekend: “The Easter Bank Holiday weekend is one of the busiest in the year with people travelling the length and breadth of the country. We are all aware of the dangers of excessive speed and the devastating consequences of speed-related collisions. I am asking every road user, be they drivers, motorcyclists, pedestrians or cyclists, to be extra vigilant about road safety over the bank holiday weekend.”
Mr Noel Brett, Chief Executive, Road Safety Authority, said: “We know that every year, excessive and/or inappropriate speed is a factor in as many as 1 in 3 fatal collisions, yet some road-users continue to see speed limits as a target. Taking risks by driving at excessive speed is a choice, and the consequences of that choice can be utterly devastating to families, friends and communities. So make the right choice when you’re on the roads this weekend. Slow down, don’t take risks on the roads and take your time getting to and from your destination – just one bad decision made in a split second could lead to tragedy and devastation.”
Over the Easter Bank Holiday weekend and throughout the month of April, An Garda Síochána will be focusing their enforcement activity on excessive speeding through the use of the nationwide network of mobile safety cameras.
Assistant Commissioner O’ Mahoney said today:“As we head into the Easter Bank Holiday weekend we appeal to all road users to again play their part in keeping our roads as safe as they can be. We are encouraged that 12 less people have been killed on our roads compared to last year, and thank all road users for their efforts in achieving this. We must be mindful that any mistake on the road can lead to very serious consequences for all involved. This weekend brings added risks as more people are using the roads so please be extra vigilant about your safety and the safety of others. With this extra traffic, journeys times will increase and we therefore appeal to all that are travelling on long distances to leave in plenty of time to get to their destination, plan their route, take their time and be well rested before setting out on their journey.”
Commissioner O’ Mahoney continued: “We especially appeal to drivers to slow down, and remember that the speed limit is the maximum that one should travel. We also ask that every driver whilst carrying passengers remembers the trust that they place in your driving. Never engage in reckless behaviour, never travel at an excessive or inappropriate speed and always keep road safety paramount in your minds.”
To support the RSA and An Garda Síochána campaign, iRadio will be running a campaign called ‘I is the Limit’ from Monday 9th April which will acknowledge road-users who drive within the speed limit. Over a three week period, iRadio branded vehicles will park in safe locations in a different county each day and monitor the speed of passing cars through the use of a speed gun. The details of the car will then be read out on air and the driver will have the opportunity to win €100.
Ms. Deborah Fagan, CEO, iRadio said: “We are delighted to be supporting the RSA and An Garda Síochána in their efforts to reduce road deaths and serious injuries on our roads. iRadio is committed to the promotion of road safety at every opportunity in the 15 counties we broadcast to in the West, Northwest, East and North East. This innovative campaign is a first for radio in Ireland which will see iRadio crew out on Ireland's roadsides with speed guns. The purpose of our campaign is to acknowledge road-users who drive at safe speeds and reinforce the message that speed limits are not a target. We really believe that this radio campaign in association with the RSA and An Garda Síochána will help cut down on road deaths and injuries here and encourage responsible driver behaviour and this is something we are passionate about”.
To date this year, 42 people have died on Irish roads, 12 less than the same period last year. Of these, 3 out of 5 were drivers and 1 in 5 were pedestrians. 42% of the people killed on our roads to date this year were aged 16-35, of which half were aged between 21 and 25.
Further information on iRadio’s ‘I is the Limit’ campaign, which is supported by the RSA and An Garda Síochána is available at www.iradio.ie.
Ends
For further information, please contact:
- RSA Communications Office, Ballina: 096 25008
- Garda Press Office: 01 666 2032 / pressoffice@garda.ie
- Deborah Fagan, CEO iRadio: 0906 445 5600
Note to Editors
Table 1: Killed and Seriously Injured for Easter Bank Holiday period, 2000 to 2011
| KSIs for the Easter Bank Holiday Weekend |
| Year |
Killed |
Seriously Injured |
Total |
| 2000 |
8 |
21 |
29 |
| 2001 |
2 |
28 |
30 |
| 2002 |
6 |
15 |
21 |
| 2003 |
5 |
10 |
15 |
| 2004 |
5 |
14 |
19 |
| 2005 |
1 |
7 |
8 |
| 2006 |
9 |
8 |
17 |
| 2007 |
3 |
13 |
16 |
| 2008 |
2 |
5 |
7 |
| 2009 |
4 |
10 |
14 |
| 2010 |
4 |
8 |
12 |
| 2011 provisional |
2 |
7 |
9 |
|
TOTAL |
51 |
146 |
197 |