16 December 2010
President of Ireland, Mary Mcaleese Launches Christmas & New Year Road Safety Campaign 2010
President of Ireland, Mary McAleese launched the Road Safety Authority (RSA) and An Garda Síochána Christmas and New Year Road Safety Campaign today Thursday 16th December 2010 at the National Rehabilitation Hospital, Dun Laoghaire, Co. Dublin.
This year’s campaign focuses on those who have been seriously injured on our roads, and all families who have suffered the consequences of road collisions. Shockingly it was revealed at the launch that 22,882 people have lost their lives on Irish roads since records began in 1959 and that 66,773 people have suffered serious life-changing injuries in crashes since serious injures were first recorded in 1979. The focus on families and those who have been seriously injured was also acknowledged in the new series of ‘Crashed Lives’ TV advertisements, the true life accounts of road tragedies which were also launched today.
Over the festive period, there will be a determined focus by An Garda Síochána on high risk behaviour such as excessive and inappropriate speed, drink and drug driving and the non-wearing of seatbelts.
In her address(PDF) at the National Rehabilitation Hospital today, the President said that there was no corner of this island that had not been affected by road deaths and injury. The effects of each crash ripple outwards like shock waves, from the individuals involved to family, friends, work colleagues and the wider community. The President reminded everyone of the dangers faced at this time of the year when using the roads. She asked everyone to remember those who have been affected by road tragedy particularly those who have been killed, the injured survivors and families.
Speaking at the launch, President Mary McAleese said: “We are all here because we hope that this Christmas road safety campaign will save lives. Since I spoke here last year, 227 people lost their lives on our roads. Every single one of them could be and should be alive today. They should be with their families looking forward to Christmas. Instead, sons and daughters, mothers and fathers, wives and husbands, friends and colleagues are carrying a grief that just goes on and on. Every one of them has something to say about this campaign and it is this – please listen, please take road safety really seriously, please do not create any more victims.”
Minister for Transport, Mr Noel Dempsey TD said: "Today’s launch serves as a stark reminder to all of us of the traumatic, life-changing consequences of road collisions. Every week, we read reports of people who have died on our roads and often we forget those who survive these collisions and who continue to live with life-changing injuries. Not only are they learning to cope with their injuries, but their families, friends and loved ones are also learning every day how to support them.”
“This year, there have been a number of important developments for road safety, including the recent roll-out of the new network of safety cameras. As with all road safety initiatives, our hope is that there are fewer families grieving and fewer people who need long term care for injuries received in road crashes that could be prevented. This is even more important as we approach the festive season so I would ask all road users to be road safety aware this Christmas – don’t speed, always wear your seatbelt, don’t drive if you are feeling tired and never ever drink or drug drive.”
Mr. Gay Byrne, Chairman, Road Safety Authority said: “This launch is about the ‘forgotten victims’ of road collisions and by that I mean those who have been seriously injured, and their families who are now coming to terms with life-changing injuries. For every death on EU roads, there are at least 8 serious injuries ranging from severe brain damage, lifelong disablement and spinal cord injuries. Simply put, for these people and their families, life will never ever be the same.”
“However, we can all work together, as individuals and agencies, to make sure that fewer families are affected by road collisions, that our loved ones don’t have to re-learn how to live their lives or be faced with a lifetime of care. When you are seriously injured in a road crash, every day is a challenge to do the simple things we all take for granted. Our message today is simple - don’t take life for granted. Stay safe on the roads and make sure you get home safely this Christmas.”
Garda Commissioner Fachtna Murphy said: “An Garda Síochána is committed to working with the Road Safety Authority and all agencies involved in road safety to reduce fatal and serious injuries on our roads. Every year, we see hundreds of families devastated by the loss of a loved one or a serious injury that will change their lives forever. As the festive season approaches, An Garda Síochána will be dedicating considerable time and resources to stop irresponsible, life-threatening behaviour on our roads. In addition, since the 16th November, the new network of safety cameras has been in operation on roads where there is a history of speed-related collisions in an effort to reduce the incidence of speed-related deaths and injuries.”
“We are not out there to catch people – we want to stop people endangering themselves and others on the roads through reckless, dangerous behaviour. Over the coming weeks, we will be putting in place a number of targeted operations to address unsafe behaviours on the road and I would ask every road-user to please take responsibility for your actions on the road.”
The RSA also launched the new series of ‘Crashed Lives’ TV and radio advertisements, true-life accounts from people who have been affected by road collisions.*
‘Crashed Lives’ is a road safety campaign featuring true life case studies in which people speak about the consequences of a crash or about the loss of loved ones in road collisions and how it has changed their lives forever - and robbed everyone of their dreams.
The first ‘Crashed Lives’ ads were launched in December 2007 and a second series followed in December 2008. The new series of ads includes three true life accounts and features Siobhán O’Brien, Marjorie Flood and Dr Áine Carroll who share their story of how the consequences of road crashes have affected their lives.
The first major broadcast of the ‘Crashed Lives’ ads will be on Thursday 16th December when Marjorie’s story is shown during the ad break of the RTÉ Six One News at 6:20pm. Siobhán’s story will be shown during the ad break of ‘Show House’ on RTÉ One on Thursday 16th December at 2:18pm. The ‘Crashed Lives’ ads will run on all major channels over the Christmas and New Year period.
A total of 205 people have been killed in road collisions to date in 2010 compared to 232 deaths to the same date in 2009. This represents 27 fewer deaths this year compared to last year, or a 12 per cent decline. When broken down by road-user, this represents 91 drivers, 50 passengers, 42 pedestrians, 16 motorcyclists and 5 cyclists who have died on Irish roads to date this year.
Read the President's speech(PDF) here
ENDS
For further information contact:
RSA Communications Office, Ballina: 096 25008
Or
Garda Press Office: 01 666 2071 or email pressoffice@garda.ie
*Editor’s Note: People Featured in ‘Crashed Lives’ 2010
Mark Flood
Mark Flood was killed after a night out in Dunshaughlin. His tragic death left a family and a much wider community devastated. Marjorie, his mother, tells the story of how her family’s world was shaken to its core early one morning, when she found out that her son had been needlessly killed on the road. Marjorie reminds us that until you’re affected, you don’t realise how many people die in preventable crashes on our roads.
Siobhán O’Brien
Siobhán, a young woman, was due to graduate the very next day, when suddenly her whole world was turned upside down following a collision with an articulated truck. Siobhán now has an acquired brain injury, and in her ad, she explains how it only takes a split second for an entire lifetime to change forever.
Dr. Áine Carroll
Dr. Áine Carroll, Consultant in Rehabilitation Medicine at the National Rehabilitation Hospital has seen the full spectrum of the catastrophic consequences of collisions on the road. From individuals whose whole lives have been made unrecognisable by a single moment on the road, to families who must devote everything to support a survivor of a road crash, often for the rest of their lives. As a patient’s mother once said to Dr Carroll, there are sometimes worse things than dying.