Search Results for 'road safety officer'

Countless collisions have occurred due to blind spots created by sun glare and the distance perception problems that are created. Driving directly against the sun can also block peripheral areas of vision and cause sudden moments of blindness as the sun peeks out from behind surrounding objects. Noel Gibbons, road safety officer with Mayo County Council, said: “We can't change the position of the sun, or the need to travel at certain times, but there are simple steps you can take to ensure you're prepared for these conditions. Keep your windscreen clean, both inside and out. On de-mist, your heater blows traffic fumes, suspended oil, and smoke on to the inside of the screen, and wet roads add dirt and scratches to the outside. Dirty windscreens add to the danger when the sun is low. If you can't see, slow down accordingly, keeping an eye on the traffic behind, in case the following vehicle doesn't see you against the sun. Also beware with these fine evenings there are more pedestrians and cyclists on the road.”

It is a tragic story that appears regularly in newspapers across the nation. Often it takes up no more than a few column centimetres, and while the names are different the story still remains the same – a child has been killed or injured after being run over by a car reversing out of the family driveway. Tragically, in most of these cases, an adult member of the child's family, a neighbour, or a visitor to the house was driving the vehicle.

As local schools return after the summer break, the Garda and Mayo County Council are embarking on a campaign of education and enforcement to reduce problems caused by inconsiderate parking near to school entrances.

Mayo and Donegal football managers have kick-started a campaign to encourage motorists to watch their speed and be aware of driver fatigue. The football managers took time out from preparation for Sunday's big game to show their support for Mayo and Donegal county councils’ You Snooze You Lose campaign, which aims to bring down traffic speeds on our roads and make motorists aware of driver fatigue, as the big game takes place over one of the busiest bank holiday weekends on the roads.

The annual pilgrimage to Croagh Patrick, known locally as Reek Sunday, is one of the major events in Westport and will attract over 25,000 visitors to this unique and historic event.

Cllr Ken Glynn is calling on the council to carry out a road safety audit of the junction at Rathgowan Park and Rathgowan Wood, as he says residents are very concerned about their children’s safety in the area.

Pedestrian Safety is the theme for the UN Road Safety Week which takes place this week from May 6 to May 12.

By Toni Bourke

Clerics in Co Mayo blessed the county’s roads in a novel ceremony aimed at reducing the number of people who die in traffic accidents each year over the Easter weekend. The campaign comes after Gardaí expressed serious concern over a rise in road deaths in the west over the past two years which runs contrary to the downward trend nationally. Single vehicle crashes involving male drivers in random locations constituted the largest number of fatalities in the region last year, while overall deaths in the region had risen from a low in 2010. Speeding in 80km/h and 100km/h zones had been identified as a major factor in fatalities in the west.

Clerics in Co Mayo will bless the county’s roads in a novel ceremony aimed at reducing the number of people who die in traffic accidents each year over the Easter weekend.