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Traffic 20/9/21

On this month’s Crimecall Garda Adrian Corcoran was in studio to deliver a road safety message in relation to the loss of life on our roads and the contributing four Lifesaver Offences.

Adrian highlighted that so far this year there have been 102 fatalities, which indicate an increase on the previous two years. Since the June 28th Crimecall programme 45 people have lost their lives.

While deaths fell in most European countries due to the Covid 19 pandemic, unfortunately Ireland has shown an increase, which is of great concern to us.

The majority of drivers show a high level of compliance with road traffic legislation and speed limits and we thank them for their continued efforts in making our roads safer. But we still have a minority of drivers who continue to flout road traffic legislation.

We refer to the four offences which contribute most to road traffic collisions as ‘Lifesaver Offences’

These four lifesaver offences are namely;

  • Ø Driving under the influence of drink / drugs
  • Ø Speeding
  • Ø Holding a mobile phone while driving
  • Ø Non wearing of seat belts 

Driving under the influence (DUI)

So far this year 2,711 people have been arrested on suspicion of driving under the influence of alcohol and 2,403 people have been arrested on suspicion of driving under the influence of drugs.

There has been an alarming number of people arrested on suspicion of driving under the influence of drugs over the past 18 months. This is a growing concern which is affecting people from all walks of life in our society.

With the easing of restrictions over the coming weeks we are expecting the numbers of people socialising to increase greatly. With this in mind we would like to remind people to never drive while under the influence of drugs or alcohol. 

Appeal

  • o Never, ever drink / drug drive
  • o Book a taxi or use public transport
  • o Nominate a ‘designated driver’
  • o Make sure you are alcohol free the next morning 

Speeding

So far this year 105,691 fines have been issued to drivers for driving above the speed limit.

Speeding is the biggest contributing factor to road deaths in Ireland. It’s a factor in one third of all fatal collisions.

Speeding in urban areas puts our most vulnerable road users, pedestrians and cyclists at risk. If a pedestrian is hit at 50kmph, they have a 50% chance of living, but hit at 60kmph and the chances drops to just 10%.

The higher the speed, the greater the likelihood of a collision happening. We are asking people to slow down and always drive within the speed limits. 

Mobile Phones

So far this year 14,810 people have been issued fines for holding a mobile phone while driving.

Statistics show that making a call makes a driver 4 times more likely to be involved in a collision and texting makes a driver a staggering 23 times more likely to be involved in a collision.

Simply holding a mobile phone in your hand is an offence, you don’t have to be on a call.

Hands free or Bluetooth systems can be just as distracting as holding a phone. If using one of these systems, it should be done through voice commands or with the buttons on the steering wheel and calls should be kept as short as possible. 

Seat Belts

So far this year 4,811 fines have been issued to people not wearing seat belts.

1 in 5 people killed on our roads were not wearing a seat belt.

Our advice is to everyone, whether driving or a passenger, please ensure that you are wearing your seat belt before you set off.

Seat belts dramatically reduce the risk of death and serious injury in the event of a collision.

We would also ask people to make sure children are restrained correctly in an appropriate restraint. Information on this can be found on the RSA website. 

Conclusion

These four lifesaver offences are a contributing factor in most fatal collisions in Ireland. We are asking people to never drive while under the influence of alcohol or drugs, always drive within the speed limits, never use your mobile phone while driving and always wear your seat belt. Small changes in people’s behaviour can make the roads safer for all its users.