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Dublin: 7 °C Thursday 23 May, 2013

Varadkar appeals to motorists after four deaths on Irish roads

Both the Transport Minister and the Gardaí have issued appeals to motorists to stay safe on the roads this weekend.

File photo
File photo
Image: Sam Boal/Photocall Ireland

THE TRANSPORT MINISTER and the Gardaí have appealed for motorists to drive safely on the roads this Bank Holiday weekend following four road deaths in the last 24 hours.

Gardaí have renewed their call for people to exercise caution on the roads with large volumes of traffic expected over the holiday weekend and the weather expected to see a substantial amount of rainfall.

“This bank holiday weekend has already seen four people killed on the roads. Heavy rainfall is being predicted for many parts of the country, so conditions on the roads are likely to be hazardous in some areas,” Varadkar said today.

Two people died in a two-car collision in Cork yesterday while a man and a woman died in separate crashes in Meath and Offaly overnight.

Assistant Commissioner John O’Mahoney extended sympathies to the families and friend of those of died.

As the Head of the Garda National Traffic Bureau he urged motorists to take into account road conditions this weekend, saying: “Road safety is everybody’s concern and by working together we can make the roads safer for all road users.”

Rainfall of between 25 and 65 millimetres is expected over Leinster and Munster over the next 24 hours with highest totals expected over the midlands.

Varadkar added: “Bank holidays are meant to be a time of fun and relaxation. However, these weekends are generally more dangerous for motorists, and see higher traffic levels.

“I would appeal to motorists everywhere to slow down, never drink and drive, and endeavour that no more lives are lost on the road this weekend.”

Read: How to get around Dublin this bank holiday weekend…

Read: Weatherwatch: patchy outlook for the June bank holiday weekend

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Comments (17 Comments)

  • Awful way to start the Bank Holiday weekend. Poor families … Amazing how it happens nearly every bank holiday. Very scary.

    Reply
  • I agree. So to the 97 LM reg blue Passat that drove right up behind me flashing his headlights on the N7 this afternoon: screw you. Your need to drive over the speed limit was more important than the safety of my family? Screw you.

    Reply
    • Dave 02/06/12 #

      Were you driving in the correct lane and not either sitting in the middle lane when the left lane was clear, or just cruising along in the right lane with nothing ahead? There’s more to good driving than obeying the speed limit.

      Reply
    • Were you in the fast lane even though you could have gone into the slow lane,people who never move back to the slow lane after over taking are just as bad as fast drivers and it sounds as if you were putting your families life in danger because you had a power trip going on

      Reply
    • It’s a passing lane, not a fast lane! If he was at the speed limit, no-one should have been passing him in any lane, other than the emergency services.

      Reply
    • Dave 02/06/12 #

      Yup, and he should not have been in there unless he himself was “passing”. We see it every day on 3 lane motorways – utter clowns thinking the left lane is for “slow cars”

      Reply
    • So what ! If he was in the right lane or wrong lane the other driver should have not been flashing or tailgating , Road rage is unacceptable. It seems that there are people who will try to justify putting other peoples lives at risk ,because they are right …… Shame on you . Yes it can be annoying if someone is in the wrong lane but so is road rage annoying. and death is permanent !

      Reply
  • I live in Tralee and have yet to see any of these so called Garda speed vans on any road down here,last night two boy racers had a drag race on the main ardfert to Tralee road.
    They spent hours racing at full speed for hours,the noise was incredible, gardai never turned up.

    Reply
  • Idiots will never listen.

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  • No amount of appealing is going to stop people taking unnecessary risks on the road. Unfortunately, it seems some people need to learn the hard way; while taking innocent people with them.

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  • Why is the majority of road deaths in ireland in rural areas. You rarely read of road deaths in Dublin.

    Reply
  • If the authorities stopped putting silly slow speed limits everywhere, drivers might actually respect the low speed limits where they make sense.

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  • Motorists appeal to Varadcar to drop the dutie one fuel, motorists are finding it hard enough to keep the cost off running their cars down, the minister must do the right thing, its his job to serve the people , and The people should demand it

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  • Dave, Caomhin : well done with your totally inaccurate assumptions. Pair of keyboard warriors.

    Since you couldn’t work it out for yourself I’ll explain: I was overtaking an articulated lorry. While overtaking another car came up behind me at speed and tailgated me while I was overtaking. When I moved back into the left hand lane from the overtaking lane he continued to drive in the overtaking lane and did the same reckless action to another car.

    Was that too complicated for you?

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  • Speed limits on motorways have increased from in old limits 70mph to almost 75mph. The people who increased the limits are the same people who remind us “Speed Kills”. Yes the RSA

    Reply
  • I heard this years ago from an elderly relative…
    You can teach a fool ,
    but you can not teach a know it all.

    Reply

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