Road safety plea as weekend death toll mounts
As the weekend death toll on the roads reached nine, safety chiefs today reiterated warnings that July is the deadliest month for collisions.
There have been 169 fatalities so far in 2006 compared to 202 for the same period last year.
And an average of 40 people die during July compared to around 30 for most other months of the year.
“At the end of the day it is the actions and behaviours of individuals which determine who dies, or is injured and which families are devastated,” said RSA chief Noel Brett.
“I appeal to each road user to get the message and please do not add any further to this toll of misery.”
In the latest spate of road deaths, nine people lost their lives between Friday morning and last evening.
The latest victim, Francis McGoldrick of Carrowshee Park, Lisnaskea, Co Fermanagh died in a head-on collision with another vehicle near Ballyconnell on Sunday evening.
The 56-year-old who lost his life after the collision outside Enfield on Sunday was identified as Sean Mac Aogain of Abbeyfield, Killester, Dublin.
Padraig McCluskey, from Littlemills, Dundalk, collided with another car at Hackballscross, Co Louth on Saturday.
Also in Co Louth, a 38-year-old Lithuanian man Ernestas Rimkus died after he lost control of his car and struck a telegraph pole near Drogheda.
The 16-year-old who died near Cootehill on Saturday was named as Daniel Boyle of Shantonagh, Cootehill.
Damien Pelletier, 30 lost his life after his motorcycle into car towing a horse box at Togher, Portlaoise.
Katishe Madire, 37 of Belgard Heights, Tallaght, Dublin died in the collision at Belgard Road on Saturday morning.
A 32-year-old man from Newry, Co Down died after an accident at Cornamucklagh, Omeath, Co Louth on Saturday.
On Friday, Andrew Dowling, 29 of Keeper Road, Crumlin was a passenger in a car that crashed at Kinnegad on the N6 between Dublin and Galway.
Later that day, an 80-year-old man was knocked down by a lorry in Emyvale, Co Monaghan.
Meanwhile gardai said that 348 drink driving arrests were recorded in the past seven days, compared to 376 during the previous week.
“Garda enforcement activities in this area of road safety will continue to be prioritised,” a Garda spokesman said.
Over the last ten years an average of 40 people have died on the roads during the month of July compared to the monthly average of 30.
