[Article] Pedestrian Awareness Campaign - Dublin - 2005

Victor

http://www.garda.ie/angarda/press.html

Pedestrian Awareness Campaign - Dublin - 2005

Twenty four pedesdtrians [sic] died on the roads in Dublin during 2004, which compared with eleven in 2003. A significant number of fatal traffic accidents involved trucks or buses (67%) and/or persons over 50 years of age (62%).

In an effort to counter this trend, An Garda Siochana (supported by its partner agencies listed below) today (26.4.05) launched a Pedestrian Safety Awareness Campaign in Dublin.

This campaign is aimed at raising the awareness of pedestrians generally regarding road safety and in particular the 'blind spot' that drivers of trucks and pedestrians must contend with.

Wrist bands('Watch Out Traffic About'); Leaflets ('Get Across not a Cross'); and Posters ('If you can't see the driver, the driver cant see you') are being distributed across the city by Gardaí to Schools, Post Offices, Health Board Centres, Community Centres, Parish Centres, Churches etc.

Posters will also feature on the interior of LUAS and DART trains, buses, transport depots and on City Council information signs. All partner agencies will distribute the material through their own outlets also.

The campaign was launched by Deputy Commissioner Fachtna Murphy, Operations, and included a demonstration on the street with an articulated truck, showing how much area around the drivers cab is a 'blind spot'.

Partner Agencies involved in this campaign are;

An Garda Siochana
Bus Eireann
Connex
Dublin Bus
Dublin City Council
Dublin Transportation Office
Dun Laoghaire Rathdown County Council
Fingal County Council
Irish Rail
Irish Road Haulers Assocation
National Safety Council
Railway Procurement Agency
South Dublin County Council

cyclopath2001

There's certainly a lot of wisdom in the advice for pedestrians & cyclists, but what is being done about dangerous driving of trucks along the city quays?

Sarsfield

cyclopath2001 wrote:

but what is being done about dangerous driving of trucks along the city quays?

They're digging a tunnel for them? But I agree with you anyway. Even as a pedestrian I sometimes have to step away from them!

Iób

This campaign is aimed at raising the awareness of pedestrians generally regarding road safety and in particular the 'blind spot' that drivers of trucks and pedestrians must contend with.

Wrist bands('Watch Out Traffic About'); Leaflets ('Get Across not a Cross'); and Posters ('If you can't see the driver, the driver cant see you') are being distributed across the city by Gardaí to Schools, Post Offices, Health Board Centres, Community Centres, Parish Centres, Churches etc.

Posters will also feature on the interior of LUAS and DART trains, buses, transport depots and on City Council information signs. All partner agencies will distribute the material through their own outlets also.

The campaign was launched by Deputy Commissioner Fachtna Murphy, Operations, and included a demonstration on the street with an articulated truck, showing how much area around the drivers cab is a 'blind spot'.

Partner Agencies involved in this campaign are;

An Garda Siochana
Bus Eireann
Connex
Dublin Bus
Dublin City Council
Dublin Transportation Office
Dun Laoghaire Rathdown County Council
Fingal County Council
Irish Rail
Irish Road Haulers Assocation
National Safety Council
Railway Procurement Agency
South Dublin County Council

Typical.

Note the following:

Involvement in the campaign of those responsible for the danger. No involvement of any pedestrian representatives, of representatives of vulnerable pedestrian groups or of the mobility impaired.

Entire emphasis of the campaign is on teaching pedestrians to avoid the danger they are put in by trucks and motorists. No reference to the impact of excessive speed on pedestrian safety.

The NRA says

On urban arterial roads within 30mph zones, 99 per cent of cars measured were exceeding the speed limit. For urban arterials within 40mph zones, the figure was 82 per cent.

And of course the sickening puns, making light of people's deaths.