14 Nollaig 2009
Ceiliúrann Gradaim RSA 'Gaiscígh gan Iomrá' na Sábháilteachta Bóthair
As ‘Irish Road Safety Week’ continues, the Road Safety Authority (RSA) today Wednesday 14th October awarded members of the public for their contribution to road safety at the annual Leading Lights Road Safety Awards in Farmleigh. The awards recognise and honour the outstanding efforts of people from local community groups, media, schools and businesses nationwide to improve safety on Irish roads.
Speaking at the Awards Ceremony, Mr Gay Byrne, Chairman, Road Safety Authority said: “In every community across Ireland, there are ordinary people doing extraordinary work, quietly but tirelessly working to reduce deaths and serious injuries on our roads. They do this, not for their own benefit, but for the benefit of every single person who uses the roads so that we can all live in a community free of carnage. These are the unsung heroes of road safety. And it gives me great pride and honour to be able to thank them personally for their outstanding achievements.”
The RSA presented a total of five Leading Lights Road Safety Awards, including a Supreme Award which was awarded to Matthews Coach. Based in Inniskeen, Co. Monaghan, Matthews Coach is a family run business set up by Dundalk man, Paddy Matthews and his wife Mary in 1995. The firm provides a commuter service to people working in Dublin and was awarded both the Supreme Award and “Organisation” category award for implementing a series of road safety measures to improve the safety of their fleet, in particular the fitting of Alcolock 500 breathalysers.
Leading Lights Road Safety Awards were handed out in three other categories – Media, Education and Community - for excellence in road safety. Midlands 103FM were awarded the “Media” Leading Lights Award for utilising every opportunity to promote road safety to their listeners, including regular discussion on road safety topics such as drink-driving, speed cameras and vulnerable road-users.
Students from C.B.S. Tralee in Co. Kerry were awarded the “Education” Leading Lights Award for their road safety initiative, ‘For Sale For Race’, which was entered into the Young Social Innovators competition in 2009. The project focused on the racing culture in the local community and the method by which local races are advertised through ‘For Sale’ signs on cars.
The “Community” Leading Lights Award was presented to the ‘Just One Life’ initiative from Wexford County Council and Wexford Rotary Club who joined forces to develop greater understanding and awareness among young students of the common causes of road collisions through practical demonstrations and seminars.
In addition to the Leading Light Road Safety Awards, the Road Safety Authority also launched their Community Road Safety Programme, ‘Protecting Our Community – A Call to Action’. The road safety awareness resource was developed in association with Muintir na Tíre and is based on the Rules of the Road. Over the past 6 months, the RSA has trained community leaders through Muintir na Tíre and the National Community Forum to deliver the programme to over 200 adults who are members of 10 local community groups across Ireland.
For further information:
RSA Press Office, Ballina: 096 25008