Anton McNulty and Ger Flanagan
The number of deaths occurring on the county’s roads in 2017 has been described as ‘terrifying’, with the figure now double what it was for the whole of 2016.
Last year, Mayo bucked the trend in terms of road safety, with just four people losing their lives on the road, but already this year the number stands at eight.
James Casey (85) became the latest fatality when he was struck by a car while walking along the N60 at Logatemple, Claremorris, at the end of last month.
If the trend continues, 2017 will be one of the worst years for fatalities in Mayo.
July danger
Paul Dolan, Head of Roads with Mayo County Council and the Chairman of the Mayo Road Safety Working Group, is appealing to all road users to be careful during the summer months.
“We are very disappointed with the figures. All road users, motorists, pedestrians and cyclists are being warned they are entering the worst time of the year for road deaths and injuries on our roads.
“There are more people killed every July on Irish roads, compared to other months every year. Some reasons for this are because more tourists are on our roads, also more sporting and other outdoor events take place and the long bright evenings mean more people are walking and cycling late in the day.
“Driving patterns are different in summer. The good weather and the holiday season will bring a lot of people onto unfamiliar roads and sees them making longer journeys. But the road safety data is terrifying. It is very important that you remember to drive carefully,” he asked.
Database
The Mayo Road Safety Working Group includes members of Mayo County Council, An Garda Síochána, HSE, green school representatives, a Transport Infrastructure Ireland safety engineer and the RSA.
The number of road deaths in the county was raised at last week’s monthly SPC meeting on Roads and Transportation. This year’s shocking record led to Cllr Cyril Burke proposing that a database be established to record all accidents, including those not reported to the Gardaí, in order have findings to present to the TII to reduce speed limits.
“We need to devise some sort of policy for recording traffic accidents. We know locally that they occur, but when the speed reviews are being done, we have nothing to show that they occurred.
“We need some sort of co-ordinated approach, a lo-call number where people can ring to record an accident because they disappear when we are seeking them for the TII. People are afraid to ring the guards,” he said.
The proposal was seconded by Cllr Damien Ryan.
