10 minute read
THE ROAD TO SAFETY
A number of safety campaigns have been launched as traffic behaviour changed during the pandemic.
Despite the numerous restrictions on movement throughout the year and repeated requests from Government, the HSE and frontline organisations to “stay at home”, resulting in significantly reduced levels of traffic, 2020 saw an increase in road fatalities. This highlights the challenges faced by the Road Safety Authority and the amount of work they have had to put in to making our roads safer.
Up to June of last year, there was a 17% increase in fatal collisions compared to 2019, with double the number of pedestrian deaths. This
prompted the RSA and An Garda Síochána to re-emphasise the need for extra care on our roads before the June Bank Holiday, when some restrictions had been lifted so that people could travel further and enjoy outdoor activities.
In support of the stronger message from the RSA to be safe on our roads, Minister for Transport Shane Ross said: “I am greatly alarmed at the rise in road deaths this year, particularly at the increase in pedestrian deaths. Road safety is a public health issue and the way we all behave on the road determines whether people live, suffer injury or die. I am appealing to all road users to please take a closer look at how you behave on the road and to take greater responsibility and practice good road safety habits.”
This message was backed up by the Garda National Roads Policing Unit, who launched a Roads Policing enforcement operation focusing on the four ‘Lifesaver’ offences of driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs, speeding, nonseatbelt wearing and using a mobile phone while driving.
Chief Superintendent Paul Cleary noted that some 1,153 people had been detected driving under the influence of an intoxicant between March and June, while there were still significant numbers of drivers recorded not wearing a seatbelt or using their mobile phone while driving.
SHARING ROADS SAFELY
In June, as restrictions were once again eased to allow people to travel 20km from home and more traffic was seen on the roads, the RSA and An Garda Síochána launched a new safety campaign urging road users to share roads safely, and reminding drivers that there were more people walking and cycling than in previous months.
The campaign, “We’re on the road back. Make it a safer one”, asked that road users reflect on the fact that adjusting to a new normal meant including the changing of traffic dynamics, urging drivers to slow down and take extra care when passing cyclists and pedestrians. It included two new radio adverts aired on local and national radio, supported by digital and social media activity.
The RSA also reminded car owners to ensure their vehicle, which may not have been driven for some time due to lockdowns, were still roadworthy, and to undertake basic maintenance checks.
Assistant Commissioner Paula Hilman, Roads Policing and Community Engagement, said at the launch: “We are seeing more traffic on the roads. As the number of vehicles is increasing, so too are the numbers of people involved in active travelling - walking and cycling. The landscape in our cities is changing due to the increased allocation of road space to cycle lanes and pedestrian pathways. We are appealing to all road users, country-wide, to continue to be vigilant while on the roads – be aware of changed road layouts and be mindful of vulnerable road users such as pedestrians, cyclists and motor cyclists.”
She continued: “An Garda Síochána will maintain a visible presence on our road network. I would ask all road users to remember the basics of road safety, to drive within speed limits, to comply with road signage, don’t drive under the influence of alcohol or drugs, make sure to wear your seatbelt while driving and don’t be distracted by electronic devices. Please show consideration for other road users, we all have a responsibility to help each other to stay safe on our roads.”
Minister Ross added: “People have done so much over the last three months to tackle the coronavirus, save lives and protect public health. The commitment we have seen across the country has been extraordinary. But road safety is also a public health issue and we need to see the same commitment from all road users to saving lives on our roads. We know from the data that most road deaths are preventable; most collisions are as a result of human behaviour. So just
as we have adapted our behaviour in the face of a pandemic, we must be prepared to change our behaviour to meet the challenges with more of us walking and cycling on the road.”
FATALITIES
Unfortunately, the trend of increasing road fatalities continued as the year went on, with the most recent figures available showing that by the start of November, 126 people had lost their lives on Irish roads, compared to 114 in 2019. This number includes 50 drivers, 23 vehicle passengers, 17 motorcyclists, ten cyclists and 26 pedestrians.
Figures from the Central Statistics Office (CSO) show that traffic volumes dropped by more than 51% in Dublin during the final week of October, when further lockdown restrictions were imposed, with a 55.4% drop nationwide, so the number of fatalities points towards incidents being more serious, with the ability to speed due to less traffic on the roads, and an increase in the number of people walking or cycling, also contributing to the high toll.
With such alarming numbers of road deaths, the launch of Road Safety Week came at a very opportune time, starting on 5 October with a host of events and initiatives planned up to and including 11 October.
RSA Chairperson, Liz O’Donnell.
ROAD SAFETY WEEK
These included the RSA’s Annual Academic Lecture on 5 October, Tyre Safety Day on 9 October, and both Child Safety Day and Beep Beep Day on 11 October, when schoolchildren across the country were provided with high-vis goods and road safety materials.
The theme of the 2020 campaign was Driver Fatigue, an important issue considering a quarter of Irish people surveyed admitting that they had recently driven while tired.
This issue was addressed at the Annual RSA Lecture, when the findings of the E-Survey of Road Users’ Attitudes (ESRA) were released, showing that 23.9% of Irish drivers said that in the previous month they had driven at least once when they were so tired they had trouble keeping their eyes open. This was higher than the European average of 20%. These figures follow on from a 2019 study by the RSA that found that 16% of 1,000 motorists surveyed said they had fallen asleep or nodded off while driving.
At the Annual Lecture, which in 2020 went online with more than 200 safety stakeholders attending the webinar, Professor Walter McNicholas, director of pulmonary and sleep disorders at St Vincent’s Hospital and an expert on sleep apnoea as a cause of driver fatigue, said that sleepiness when driving is associated with between 20% and 25% of all major road accidents globally.
DRIVER FATIGUE
He explained that obstructive sleep apnoea (OSA) is a disorder that affects 5-10% of the adult population, and that patients with this condition are seven times more likely to have a road traffic collision.
Speaking about the issues raised in the lecture, Minister of State Naughton, said the findings were “worrying” and added: “We know that driving while fatigued significantly increases your risk of being involved in a road traffic collision. But just as you wouldn’t get behind the wheel of a car while intoxicated, don’t drive if you are fatigued. Health experts have been proclaiming the importance of sleep for many years, but in the case of road safety, a good night’s sleep might just save your life.”
RSA Chairperson Liz O’Donnell also said that the findings demonstrate why driver fatigue is often referred to as a “silent killer”.
“The advice for drivers suffering from fatigue and who find themselves fighting sleep at the wheel is simple,” she said. “Stop, sip, sleep. Pull over safely, drink a caffeinated drink, and take a 15-20 minute nap. By the time you restart your journey, the caffeine should have taken effect and you should be able to drive safely for another hour or so. However, the only cure for driver fatigue is sleep.”
The issue of driver fatigue then took centre stage in a new RSA TV-led advertising campaign that provided drivers with advice on what to do if they feel sleepy while driving, supported by national and local radio, digital, social, and outdoor campaigns.
The RSA also teamed up with Applegreen to provide motorists with a free cup of coffee every bank holiday weekend to help fight fatigue behind the wheel.
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TESTING
In December, the RSA and An Garda Síochána, in collaboration with the Department of State for International and Road Transport and Logistics and Professor Denis Cusack from the Medical Bureau of Road Safety, launched another safety campaign focusing on the Christmas and New Year periods and beyond into 2021.
This campaign focused on Mandatory Intoxicant Testing, with gardaí having a visible enforcement presence around the country for a month and detecting 85 people driving under the influence of alcohol and 26 driving under the influence of drugs.
This followed on from figures that show that despite traffic volumes being down by 70% at some times over the course of 2020, there had been a 133% increase in the amount of people detected driving under the influence of drugs (2,537 in 2020 compared to 1,192 in 2019).
Speaking at the launch, Assistant Commissioner Paula Hilman said: “Our message is clear – do not drive if you are under the influence of alcohol or drugs, or a combination of both. We have a shared responsibility to help each other to stay safe on our roads.”
RSA Chairperson O’Donnell added: “The consequences of driving under the influence of alcohol and other drugs can be devastating. I would appeal to anyone about to drive after drinking alcohol to stop and wait until they are alcohol free and safe to drive. If you see a friend or family member about to drive while under the influence, please intervene, offer to get them a taxi, or if necessary, call the gardaí. Allowing someone to drive while under the influence is simply not worth the risk.”
Minister of State Naughton also appealed for extra vigilance at a time when restrictions on movement were lifted temporarily to enable people to enjoy the Christmas period.
VIGILANCE
“For many, a lifting of national restrictions will allow us to visit and meet with our families and friends again,” she said. “This will inevitably mean that the roads will be very busy. We will also hopefully be able to get out for a cycle or walk with family and friends. It is important that as drivers, we make a special effort to be on the lookout for these vulnerable members of our community. Let’s give them plenty of space when overtaking. Don’t forget that pedestrians will have to socially distance when walking on footpaths and the roadside where there are none.”
As we move through the first few months of 2021, we face uncertain times and further lockdowns and restrictions on movement, but the levels of traffic continue to be higher than perhaps they should be. It is inevitable that more people will take to the road to walk or cycle in order to maintain their health, and it is up to all road users to be aware of others and to remain safe at all times.
As a society, we have sacrificed a lot to remain safe during an unprecedented global health crisis, and as the words of RSA members and An Garda above have shown, this needs to extend to our actions on Irish roads. Hopefully, as we emerge from this pandemic, it will be into a safer environment for all road users.
