The Road safety Authority and An Garda Siochana are appealing to drivers to slow down and to observe speed limits. The appeal comes ahead of the June Bank Holiday weekend. A 24 hour Slow Down Day speed enforcement day will run until 7am tomorrow morning.
New data shows over three quarters of drivers were observed speeding in 50km/h zones. The data shows that on weekdays 75% of observed drivers were driving in excess of 50km/h. At the weekend, 93% of observed drivers broke the speed limit. 90 people have been killed or seriously injured in June Bank holiday collisions in the last 5 years. A quarter of driver fatalities were exceeding a safe speed at the time of the collision. Over three quarters of driver fatalities who were exceeding a safe speed occurred on rural roads. Minister of State at the Department of Transport, Ms. Hildegarde Naughton reminded road users that we all have a shared responsibility as individuals and a society to slow down to and protect ourselves and other road users.”
Drivers detected speeding will receive 3 penalty points on their licence, if the driver accumulates 12 penalty points in three years their licence will be suspended 6 months. A lower threshold of 7 points applies for learner drivers. To date in 2022 there have been 70 fatalities on the road. This is an increase of 26 deaths compared to the same date last year.
Separately As the June bank holiday approaches, the Coast Guard, RNLI and Water Safety Ireland have issued a joint water safety appeal. The organisations are asking people to check that they have the correct equipment they need to enjoy their activities and that they know what to do in the event of an emergency. They advise that inflatable toys are not suitable for use in open water, including at the seaside, inland waters and rivers. As the popularity of kayaking, canoeing and paddle boarding increases, the safety advice for these activities includes: wearing a life jacket, having a means of communication and Tell someone where you are going and what time you expect to return and ideally to undertake the activity in a group. This weekend, the Lifeguards trained and assessed by Water Safety Ireland begin summer patrols at local authority run bathing areas. Last year, they rescued 473 people and provided first aid to 6,700 people. The number to contact if If you see somebody in trouble on the water or along the coast, or you think they are in trouble is 999 or 112 or use VHF radio CH 16 and ask for the Coast Guard.
