As preparations are well underway to celebrate our patron saint’s day, Louth County Council’s Road Safety Officer, Adrian O’Sullivan, is encouraging everyone using the roads to act responsibly and to ‘Go dté tú slán‘ (Arrive alive).
“With the recent easing of Covid-19 restrictions, many families will be out enjoying the festivities for the first time since 2019. Everyone should be able to feel safe without the fear of meeting a driver who’s impaired through alcohol or drugs” he said.
“Do your bit this Saint Patrick’s bank holiday weekend, to stop these drivers from putting someone’s life at risk. If they don’t listen, please phone your local Garda station or Garda Traffic Watch on lo-call number 1890 205 805 and report it – you might just save a life.
“Saint Patrick’s Festival is a period of national celebration and we want people to have fun, but we are reminding road users that everyone must do their part to help keep the roads safe”.
Adrian has the following advice to ensure that anyone planning to socialise over the Saint Patrick’s Bank Holiday weekend has a safe time:
* Never ever drink and drive. Any amount of alcohol impairs driving, so leave the car at home. A recent report issued by the RSA found that 39% of driver fatalities had a positive toxicology for alcohol, with young men being significantly over-represented.
* Plan ahead for your journey home, whether by taxi, with a designated driver or public transport.
* Don’t walk home if you’re drunk, figures released by the RSA in 2019 have shown that almost half (49%) of pedestrians killed on our roads had consumed alcohol.
* If you are a passenger remember to wear your seatbelt, as there is a close link between alcohol consumption and the non-wearing of seatbelts in fatal accidents.
* Don’t forget that you could still be over the limit the next morning, so take the necessary precautions. Garda Síochána investigation files for fatal collisions show that 11% of fatal collisions, in which a driver had consumed alcohol occurred between 7am and 11am. Approximately one in ten drink driving arrests happen between 8am and 2pm, so if you have had a late night out, please leave the car at home.
Lá Fhéile Pádraig sona duit.
