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DRIVERS ARE BEING warned that they are putting their lives and others at risk by stopping on the motorway to call or text.
The Road Safety Authority and AA Ireland have come together to warn all road users not to stop or walk on a motorway unless it is an emergency.
Their call comes on foot of the results of a recent survey of 8,400 drivers that showed that almost half of them (45 per cent) have stopped on the hard shoulder of a motorway to make or receive a call.
The survey was carried out by AA Ireland and the RSA is now launching a new radio ad to draw people’s attention to the dangers of stopping on a motorway.
Conor Faughnan, Director of Policy, AA Ireland said:
A motorway hard shoulder is an extremely dangerous place to be and should only be used in an emergency, for example, if your car breaks down and you can’t restart it. It’s alarming the number of motorists willing to casually pull over and put themselves and their passengers in a dangerous situation, and all too often to respond to a text or answer a call.
He said that AA patrols are called to an average of 60 motorists per week on the motorway network, and four of those are for people who have completely run out of fuel.
Noel Brett of the RSA noted that pedestrians are particularly vulnerable as if they walk on the motorway they are exposed to vehicles travelling at speeds of up to 120km/h.
He said that in 2010, four pedestrians were killed on Irish motorways, which represented 1 in 5 of all motorway deaths.
In the poll, 236 drivers even admitted stopping to collect or drop off a passenger on a motorway hard shoulder.
AA Ireland described this as “ludicrous”.
Brett said that the message is clear: “Never ever walk on a motorway”. He said it is both unsafe and an offence.
Drivers should also ensure they leave enough room between their car and the vehicle in front to allow for a safe stop – you should make sure that you are at least four seconds behind and double this in wet conditions.
According to the AA survey, 1 in 5 drivers have stopped on a motorway hard shoulder to take a nap.
Both the RSA and AA Ireland appeal to motorists to use their common sense and not to pull in for a nap or to switch drivers on a motorway.
Motorists are advised to choose a safe location off the motorway, such as a designated rest area, service area or by taking the next exit to make the swop or to get a cup of coffee and take a 15-20 minute nap.
Fifteen per cent of those polled said they had stopped within the last two years to investigate a dashboard warning light – AA Ireland says don’t attempt repairs on a motorway yourself, and instead have this looked at as soon as possible once you exit the motorway.
Since 2005, almost 100 people have been killed or seriously injured as a result of collisions on Ireland’s motorways.
Of these, eight people died and 14 were seriously injured in 2010, which is the worst year since 2007 when 26 people were killed or seriously injured.
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Could easily fund their campaigns with the money made off Ukrainian refugees.
@Ciaran O Donoghue: Well we now have the Tweets and video of NGO’s bussing Illegal immigrants to polling stations to vote following their registration in hotels. As I predicted they have imported their new voters.
@087 bed: Liar
@Ollie McGlinchey: The Video is there to prove you wrong, You should be ashamed of yourself.
@087 bed: could you tell us where to look? wouldnt always go on them as sometimes its just gargle but I checked gript. You need to mention where since a link will be deleted.
@087 bed: “as I predicted” – ha! Your smugness will never abate. And anyone who believes a word that racist gombeen says in your video should be ashamed of themselves. He’s a disgrace to this country.
They did not get my vote as they have been profiteering from the refugees. That is not right.
@Ulysses 31: well now I think I know who but could be wrong. Any idea when hidden camera show is back on? I miss it terribly
@Ulysses 31: I had to video record it.
@Sean Money: so that’s where you live?
@Ciaran O Donoghue: who are you?
@Sean Money: Didn’t have you as a lefty loon Sean?
There was an article pulled from the journal this morning. It had figures of earnings from Ukrainians on a guesthouse owned by the Healy Rae’s. Literally dissapeared while I was reading it. Puppet jouranalism.
@Vinny Clare: that’s only the half of it, have a Google of what there plant hire firm makes every year from Kerry CC. He had another house ready for rental aswell only he proceeded with the work before planning went through.
@Michael o connor: if that’s Nancy Myles then there are tenants in situ as we speak. He didn’t get permission to turn it into 30 apartments so it’s just a few rooms still.
nepotism
@Ulysses 31: Apologism
@john murray: Its all he/she/they knows. Petty and miserly person
You know….with all the noise surrounding the two brothers in the Dail, I honestly entirely forgot about their father……which just compounds how much of a cottage industry that family has made itself.
It’s either people couldn’t careless about their communities and don’t care what’s going on,but in a few years,u will have the people in Kerry giving out about their Communities and their County been so neglected with housing Health and everything else,the people of Kerry had too have seen Michael sitting with the Muslims,and praising them and how lucky Kerry is too have them,the more that come the better,and he will do everything he can to get the mosque built.all hotel owners who’s housing these migrants were runing mini busses to get them to vote,and were told who to vote for…I’ve not heard from any main media which not suprised,but Gript the only media to believe why haven’t they asked how is it legal to vote in this Country,when ur not a citizen.id like to know
@Kathleen Peters: Gonna need some people to stay, especially if we cant keep our own. That local garage job that no one wanted is about to become very popular. The franchise owner will be super pleased with the abundant cheap labour too.
And we sneer at the Americans who’d seemingly vote for a convicted criminal and yet this guy who assaulted a tourist (and who has also lost his appeal) can get elected? Probably being held aloft by the bully boy mates who helped him in the night.
We’ll never have change because the Irish love punishment, the Brits beat that into us. Let’s all complain about everything and then vote the same clowns in …. Well done
What is there to be proud of? Nothing and they know it. It’s a false sense of nepotism driven pride that should have shame in it’s place. Is the tweet from the very same elected chap who did the assault? Tells you everything there is to know then, they are money grabbing anti gay creatures and nothing will ever change that
‘This is my town!’ I’ll fight ya at the chip van! (with my 3 mates to help me too)
Speedy Nolan was another one elected that had the healy raes behind him.
@Michael o connor: pass the bucket, or the cheque book #corruption
Great news. More independents
Crooks and thugs!
Local elections deal with local issues. If I lived in kerry I’d vote for them! Very responsive to problems from people living there. A lot of the local politicians don’t seem to do much. At least they actually get results. Whatever about td’s and national issues. Cannot complain about the locals. Here in waterford we have terrible politicians who for decades have gotten us very little. One good labour councillor in waterford county. That’s it
@B Murphy: prove it, I am completely willing to bet they’d silence any Irish silly enough to be living there (although Kenmare is pretty) as quickly as the following people silenced me immediately and wrongly for a short email addressing their failures on disabilities, young people, justice, mental health: Mcentee, Varadkar, Harris, O Gorman
They’ve not done anything but put out hateful rural rhetoric in the past about minorities, show up on rte which they’d claim to despise also, switch it around to meet Muslims this year as the flat cap TD one did. They’re hookers, plain and simple and no offence remotely meant to sex workers
Very sad that they keep getting elected..
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