Ahern in plea to holiday drivers
Taoiseach Bertie Ahern today appealed to motorists to drive with care over the Easter holiday weekend.
In a statement Mr Ahern advised drivers not to drink and drive and to reduce their speed on the roads.
The Road Safety Authority (RSA) said 22 people have been killed in crashes over the Easter period in the last five years and a further 52 people were seriously injured.
Mr Ahern said: “I would urge all those who use our roads to exercise extra caution, particularly over the coming long weekend when thousands of extra journeys will be made by road users.”
“It is a matter for individual road users to act responsibly on our roads and to take responsible decisions. By taking some simple advice, we can reduce the level of road deaths and serious injuries – put your seatbelt on, observe the speed limits and never ever drink and drive.”
Gardaí will be deploying officers at hundreds of checkpoints around the country as motorists make holiday journeys.
Gardaí said last weekend’s St Patrick’s Day holiday period saw a 25% increase in detected drink-driving incidents compared to the same period in 2007.
Irish Rail will be carrying up to 250,000 passengers while Dublin Airport expects to see 280,000 people arrive and depart this weekend.
The RSA also warned motorists of the dangers of driving while tired. Research shows one in five driver deaths in Ireland occur as a result of driver fatigue.
“Many people are simply unaware of the risks involved when tired. The reality is, driving while tired affects your ability to react to hazards and, in some cases, can be fatal,” said RSA chief executive Noel Brett.
He asked drivers to stop and drink coffee or other caffeine beverages and take a 15 minute nap before resuming.
