The Road Safety Authority (RSA) is hosting a number of events for Irish Road Safety Week which takes place from Monday 2 to Sunday 8 October. The RSA is encouraging people to support Irish Road Safety Week and get involved with events in their local communities.
Monday 2 October: Tyre Safety Day. The Irish Tyre Industry Association (ITIA) members around Ireland are inviting all motorists to call in for a FREE tyre pressure check and thread depth inspection during Irish Road Safety Week. A visit to www.itia.ie will lead motorists to their nearest ITIA registered dealer. Drivers can download a copy of ‘Your Guide to Tyre Safety’ which includes information on buying second-hand tyres.
Wednesday 4 October: The RSA will hold their Annual Conference. This year’s conference will look at the theme of serious injuries and will feature national and international speakers who will share best practices in addressing this issue. The speakers will be from a variety of backgrounds including policy development, academia and medicine. The afternoon session will feature a panel discussion with international experts on E-scooters, to learn from their policies and experiences.
Friday 6 October: National Child Safety Day. The RSA will launch its Child Casualties report on Friday 6 October. National Child Safety Day also provides an opportunity for pre-schoolers to get involved in road safety. Pre-schools pre-ordered Beep Beep packs on the RSA website and the RSA will be distributing these packs, with over 40,000 high visibility vests to pre-schools nationwide, in time for National Child Safety Day.
Motorway Safety: Ahead of Irish Road Safety Week next week, the RSA are reminding road users of the Rules of the Road when driving on Ireland’s motorway network.
The key rules of the road when it comes to driving on a motorway include:
- The maximum speed limit on a motorway is 120km per hour unless:
- There are signs indicating another speed limit, for example due to roadworks or bad weather.
- You are driving a vehicle that is subject to a lower speed limit such as a bus (100km/h) or truck (90km/h), or if you are towing a trailer, caravan or horse/cattle box (80km/h).
- You should always drive in the left lane unless you need to overtake a slower vehicle, or the lane is blocked. Once you have finished overtaking, move from the right lane back into the left lane as soon as it is safe to do so. On a three-lane motorway, there is an extra overtaking lane, but you should still keep left as much as possible.
- Check your mirrors on a constant basis, as the situation around you will be changing all the time. Before overtaking or changing lanes, remember ‘mirror, signal, mirror, manoeuvre’.
- Remember that you must leave enough room in front of you to allow you to stop safely.
Road users are reminded that it is an offence to stop on the hard shoulder of a motorway unless it’s an emergency (i.e. a breakdown). If this occurs, you should call for help using your mobile phone or one of the emergency roadside phones, and wait at a safe place, behind the crash barrier. Additionally, under no circumstances should anyone ever walk or cycle on a motorway.
If you find yourself driving against the flow of traffic, pull in immediately to the hard shoulder and stop. Contact the Gardaí by dialling 999 or 112. Do not attempt to turn your vehicle. Wait for help in a safe place.
The RSA have a promotional video demonstrating how to use and change lanes correctly and safely when driving on a motorway.
Additional events include:
The Shuttle is an interactive unit where students can enjoy interactive, educational road safety experiences and will visit:
- Curragh Community College, The Curragh Kildare on 2nd October
- Kildare Town Community School, Kildare Town from 3rd – 5th October
StreetSmart brings road safety to life in a fun way for young school children. It uses a StreetScape mat and props which incorporate typical street scenes. StreetSmart is designed for children aged between 4 and 12 and is due to visit: Scoil Iosagain, Ballybunion, Kerry from 2nd to 4th October, and Scoil Breac Cluain, Annascaul, Kerry from 5th to 6th October.
The full list of events can be found on: https://www.rsa.ie/news-events/events/details/2023/10/02/default-calendar/irish-road-safety-week-2023
