Roads plea for Easter

Roads plea for Easter

ALL MAYO road users are being urged by Mayo County Council’s Road Safety Officer to be especially careful on the county’s roads over the Easter weekend.
Speaking earlier this week, Noel Gibbons said the last bank holiday weekend in March saw the deaths of eight people on the country’s roads, three of whom were pedestrians. Equally disturbing, according to Noel, was the fact that hundreds of motorists were arrested for drink driving.
He especially appealed to pedestrians to be careful on the county’s roads. “This year just under half the people killed on the nation’s roads have been pedestrians. One of the last four road deaths in County Mayo also involved pedestrians. All pedestrians in rural areas should wear high visibility clothing and face oncoming traffic when walking along the roadside. The simple message for them is ‘Be Safe, Be Seen’.”
The basic road safety message for all drivers remains the same, he stresses – don’t ever drink and drive, drive at safe speeds, ensure seat belts are worn and beware of other vulnerable road users, especially pedestrians and cyclists.
“Last year, 2006, saw the lowest road death figures in County Mayo in years, while the national figures as a whole have fallen by over a quarter in the last eight months. Current Garda enforcement campaigns have led to this dramatic fall in road deaths.
“The Easter weekend is a busy time and all road users should make a special effort to ensure it’s an accident free one on the roads in Mayo,” he concluded.