Back-to-school rush prompts road safety warning
Parents taking youngsters back to school today were warned to take extra care on the roads.
As the new academic year shifts into gear parents were urged to remember that whether passengers, pedestrians or cyclists, their children’s safety was of paramount importance.
Alan Richardson, acting chief executive of the National Safety Council (NSC), said: “You do see a rise in accidents at this time of year. The trend follows the higher volumes of traffic, particularly with unrestricted children in the back.”
Between 1998 and 2003, more than 4,000 children were either injured or killed on Irish roads. Of those, 114 were under 14 and either pedestrians or passengers in cars.
“We are asking them to teach youngsters good habits: to belt up in cars and to be very careful out on the road,” Mr Richardson added.
“At this time of year there is an increase in traffic on the roads and therefore a much greater risk to children making their way back to school.”
The NSC joined forces with the Automobile Association to make the timely appeal, urging parents to make road safety top of their child’s back to school checklist.
