[Article] Road-safety drive targets cyclists, pedestrians

Victor

http://home.eircom.net/content/irelandcom/breaking/6581091?view=Eircomnet

Road-safety drive targets cyclists, pedestrians
From:ireland.com
Monday, 24th October, 2005

The National Safety Council and An Garda Síochána have unveiled a winter road safety campaign to try and tackle the rising death toll, which has reached 317 to date this year.

The "Arrive Alive" campaign is aimed at vulnerable road users such as pedestrians and cyclists who make up a third of this year's fatalities.

Mr John O'Neill, vice president of the Irish Insurance Federation, which is sponsoring the campaign, and chief executive of Axa Ireland said the holiday season should be a time of celebration for families.

"Unfortunately it can be a lonely time, a tragic time," he said. "For almost 400 extended families in Ireland this will be the case - 400 people will not be sitting down for Christmas dinner this year, and perhaps the real tragedy is that we could have prevented half of these empty chairs if the political will and interest was there to change the status quo.

"We must have the support of the Government to do what they said they would do and implement the Road Safety Strategy," he said.

National Safety Campaign chairman Mr Eddie Shaw said that of the 317 deaths on Ireland's roads so far in 2005, 13 per cent were pedestrians, 3 per cent were cyclists and 16 per cent were motorcyclists.

"The objective of this safety drive is to reduce the number of pedestrian, cyclist and motorcyclist fatalities on Irish roads this winter, but also in the run up to, and during, the high-risk October Bank Holiday weekend.

Garda Commissioner Noel Conroy also urged the public to take extra precautions to ensure their safety during winter.

http://www.rte.ie/news/2005/1024/roads.html

Insurance body attacks road safety record

24 October 2005 20:07

The Irish Insurance Federation has launched a blistering attack on the Government's road safety record.

The IIF vice president, John O'Neill, said at least one motorcyclist was dying on the roads each week because of the Government's failure to implement mandatory roads training for motorcyclists.

Mr O'Neill also called on the Government to stop messing around when it came to implementing the road safety strategy.
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Mr O'Neill was speaking at the launch of the National Safety Council's 'Arrive Alive' safety campaign, which is focused on road safety over the October Bank Holiday weekend and on into the winter.

His comments were backed up by the chairman of the National Safety Council, Eddie Shaw, who said there was a dire need for joined up thinking in Government on road safety.

Mr Shaw said Government policy was not the problem but enforcing it was.

Speaking at the same event, the Garda Commissioner, Noel Conroy, highlighted the fact that drink driving is still a major contributor to serious injuries and death on the roads.

Mr Conroy also said he was satisfied that the gardaí were adequately resourced when it came to enforcing road safety law.

He also said that drivers could expect to see more garda activity on the roads late at night and early in the morning over the coming months.

The campaign that was launched today will target drivers through radio and bus shelter advertising over the coming weeks.

Maskhadov

They should start with enforing cyclist to cycle with two lights and reflecting clothing by means of a fine.

cyclopath2001

There would be no harm at all at enforcing all safety laws. But maybe too, they should re-examine the absurd rules that allow cars to park in cycle lanes at night?

randomname2005

cyclopath2001 wrote:

There would be no harm at all at enforcing all safety laws. But maybe too, they should re-examine the absurd rules that allow cars to park in cycle lanes at night?

Not just at parking at night, but driving in and parking in during the day too.

Regarding the lights comment, I am tempted to get one of those 1/2 million candle watt power lights and put it on the front of my bike. Two lights (both front and rear making 4 in total) and a high vis jacket dont seem to be enough to alert drivers to my presence.
R

Maskhadov

get one of those rapidly flashing strobe lights for your bike.. the cars will never miss you then.

The problem with Irish roads is that the rules are properly enforced by the traffic police/garda. Until they start dishing out the fines and penality points regularly we can continue to rack up the body count.

Winter road safety plan launched
Ali Bracken




One motorcyclist is killed each week on Irish roads while the Government has yet to deliver on its promise to introduce compulsory basic training for motor-cyclists, according to the Irish Insurance Federation.

In response, Minister for Transport Mr Cullen said: "On motor-cyclists, I believe compulsory training is required. My intention is to meet with interest groups shortly in advance of introducing new measures."

The number of young male drivers being killed in accidents would drop significantly if the Government made a commitment to introduce compulsory driving training, said John O'Neill, vice-president of the insurance federation.

"We have a commitment that there will be compulsory basic training for motorcyclists. But where is it? Each week we kill another motorcyclist ... Let the Government do what they said they would do and go ahead with the road safety strategy. Stop messing about. And stop killing people day in, day out."

Mr O'Neill made his comments yesterday at the launch of the National Safety Council's winter road-safety campaign, which consists of radio advertising, poster advertising and press adverts to coincide with the clocks going back for wintertime.

Also speaking at the launch was Eddie Shaw, chairman of the safety council, who said it was a tragedy that 317 people have been killed on Irish roads to date this year and that this number is expected to reach 380 by the year's end.

"Best practice tells us that the number in this country should be 240 deaths. That's 20 deaths per month. That's six deaths per 100,000 of the population. It means that we are unnecessarily killing 140 people every year and leaving something like 1,200 people with serious injuries. And by serious injuries I mean life-changing injuries," said Mr Shaw, who added that the current "policy on road safety must not be used as a political football".

The 2004 to 2006 road safety strategy was "simply not being implemented with the resources and pace it should be", he said.

The safety council's winter campaign, in co-operation with the insurance federation and An Garda Síochána, is aimed at "vulnerable" road users - pedestrians, cyclists and motorcyclists - who make up one-third of the 317 deaths this year to date.

Mr Shaw said that as young people were also vulnerable, road safety education programmes in primary and secondary schools, third-level colleges and local communities would be beneficial.

"Road safety should be included as part of the school curriculum. We have to understand that young drivers are not bad drivers, they're just inexperienced drivers." Mr Shaw suggested that training simulators in schools and local authorities could be introduced to teach young people about road hazards so they could make mistakes "on these training simulators rather than on the roads".

Mr O'Neill said that the numbers of young, male drivers on the roads has increased because insurance premiums have dropped.

"But those young male drivers are on the road without compulsory basic training. That is why they continue, and will continue, to kill themselves and their friends every weekend."

Road deaths: 2005 statistics

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This year to date, 317 people have been killed on Irish roads, including three people last weekend.
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Of the 317 fatalities, 16 per cent were motorcyclists, 13 per cent were pedestrians and 3 per cent were cyclists.
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Alcohol has been identified as a contributing factor in at least 25 per cent of all road collisions and 33 per cent of all fatal road collisions.
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Drink-driving arrests are up 15 per cent on last year with 9,050 arrests so far to date.
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So far this year, 42 per cent of those killed in road accidents have been drivers; 15 per cent have been pedestrians and a further 15 per cent have been motorcyclists.
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Almost one-third of all pedestrians killed are over 65 years of age.
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Recent research by Dr Declan Bedford, specialist in public health medicine with the HSE, found that six out of 10 adult pedestrians killed in road accidents in the Louth and Monaghan area had an average blood alcohol level of over twice the legal driving limit.


http://www.ireland.com/newspaper/ireland/2005/1025/1092575882HM3ROADSAFETY.html

© The Irish Times

Victor

Maskhadov wrote:

get one of those rapidly flashing strobe lights for your bike.. the cars will never miss you then.

Especially the one with the hint of blue.

John_C

National Safety Campaign chairman Mr Eddie Shaw said that of the 317 deaths on Ireland's roads so far in 2005, 13 per cent were pedestrians, 3 per cent were cyclists and 16 per cent were motorcyclists.

Does this mean that cycling is about as safe as driving? I'd be surprised if fewer than 3% of journeys are taken by bicycle.