FRIDAY EVENING AND nighttime is now the most dangerous time of the week to use the roads in Ireland, according to Gardaí.
A road safety notice from the force urges motorists to reduce speed and exercise greater care if getting behind the wheel this evening.
88 people have been killed on the roads to date this year – an increase of 4 on the same time in 2012. The number of motorcycle fatalities reached 10 last evening following the death of a man in his 50s whose motorbike collided with a car in Co Meath.
There have been 9 fatalities so far in June. By comparison, 25 people lost their lives in June 2012 alone. Speaking to TheJournal.ie, Brian Farrell of the Road Safety Authority said:
We had a horrendous June last year, and we have to improve on our record for that month if there’s any hope of trying to reduce the numbers killed on our roads.
Farrell said people were often surprised to hear that summertime was far more dangerous than winter in terms of risk to road users, adding:
June and July are typically the worst on the roads. Because people are out making the most of the weather, there are more tourists in the country and more events happening – it’s just much busier. You can combine that with the fact that people might perceive that summer is a relatively safer time, and relax in the car a bit.
A particular warning is being issued to motorcyclists this evening. Gardaí are advising all motorcyclists and motorbike clubs to view the video below before heading out:
A detailed breakdown of last year’s figures by the Road Safety Authority shows Sunday was the most dangerous day of the week for road use in 2012. Almost a quarter of all Irish road deaths were on a Sunday – 39 of the 162 total.
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