Be Safe, Be Seen on Shortest Day of the Year
Ahead of national ‘Be Safe, Be Seen’ day which takes place next Wednesday, 21 December, Fingal County Council, along with RSA Ireland and An Garda Síochána is reminding drivers, pedestrians and cyclists to exercise caution on the roads.
December 21 is the shortest, and usually the darkest, day of the year and it’s an ideal time to pause and consider what safety measures you can take to ensure you arrive alive.
As in recent freezing fog and severe temperature conditions drivers are reminded to be aware of their visibility on the road and that reducing their speed can be the crucial difference between a minor crash and serious or fatal one. Always drive with dipped headlights or using automatic daytime running lights (DRL) if your car has this feature.
Make sure your lights, indicators, reflectors, and number plate lighting are clean and in good working order so that you can see clearly and be seen at all times.
When walking, particularly in rural areas where footpaths and street lighting are limited or not in place, pedestrians should ensure they are wearing some hi-vis, bright or reflective materials so that they can be seen by approaching motorists coming from in front or behind them.
Walkers should also carry a torch, or use the torch on their phone, to light the way and alert cars to their presence when walking at night. It is best to avoid walking on dark roads wherever possible.
Cyclists too have a responsibility to light up. You must have a white light to the front of your bike and a red light at the bike. Remember there are fines for those caught without working bike lights in the dark. In addition, cyclists could also choose reflective clothing to maximise their visibility and help prevent accidents.
Mayor of Fingal, Cllr Howard Mahony, said safety is paramount especially during the festive season. ‘This Christmas there will be 150 empty chairs in homes around Ireland where road traffic victims should be sitting. Visibility when walking, driving or cycling could the key thing that saves your life or the life of someone you love. At this time of year people are busy and distracted but if you remember one thing please remember to be safe you must be seen.’
Chief Executive of Fingal County Council, AnnMarie Farrelly, also stressed the importance of road safety. ‘Our Operations department work year round to provide efficient street lighting and are always on hand to help in severe weather but we cannot forget each and every person’s responsibility to dress in hi-vis or bright clothing as a pedestrian or cyclist and to light their vehicle appropriately whether that’s a bike or any form of motor transport’.
To date this year (Thursday, 20 December), 143 people have died on Irish roads, 7 less than this time last year. Vulnerable road users, such as cyclists, motorcyclists and pedestrians, accounted for 4 in every 9 deaths with, 41 pedestrians, 14 motorcyclists and 9 cyclists killed on Irish roads so far, this year.
Sinéad Murphy of Fingal County Council’s Active Travel unit, says taking these very simple actions can protect yourself and others. ‘Do your bit by turning on dipped headlights during the day and by slowing down. Speed is key because it allows time to react to a problem you might encounter – meeting a cyclist around a corner or a pedestrian crossing unexpectedly for example. We know that a pedestrian hit by a car at 50km/h only has a 50% chance of survival, hit at 30km/h a pedestrian has a 90% chance of survival. So you can make a difference and you should.”
You can learn more about this and other road safety initiatives at https://www.fingal.ie/activetravel/roadsafety