South Meath Driving School

Statistics aren’t the first choice of the reader: they have been alluded to as hated by many, wanted by plenty, disliked by some and confronted by none! That’s not to mention Disraeli’s alleged attribute to the subject as ‘Lies, damned lies and statistics.’ However much people disparage statistics that don’t support their argument, at the end of the day, they stand cold and we must live with them.
In 2008, 49 pedestrians were killed and 1,124 injured on our roads representing 18% of the total fatalities. With the darker evenings approaching, pedestrians and cyclists are all the more vulnerable to accident. With a little more thought, a lot of danger can be reduced or eliminated. Some simple measures as those following can see you out and take you home safely.

• Wear bright clothing at night, or, a high visibility vest and armband.
• On country roads, carry a torch.
• Use footpaths, if provided.
• Don’t cross a road at a bend.
• Walk two abreast, or, preferably, single file.
• Don’t cross the road between parked cars.
• Look and listen.

Pedestrians who are inebriated present a serious risk. They’re oblivious to danger and should get a taxi or friend to get them home. Publicans have a responsibility to those leaving their premises while under the weather and should give them every assistance possible to ensure their safety. Pity the poor ould publican doing taxi till 3.00am.

It’s my opinion that the bus Stop on the new Athboy Bypass (near Lidl) creates a serious risk to people boarding or alighting from the bus. Firstly, the Stop is on a bend which has limited forward visibility and there’s a continuous centre white line on the road there. Then with a shelter on one side and a stopping bay opposite, users find themselves crossing the road there at an undesirable location. This road carries a heavy volume of traffic.

Cyclists, too, are a vulnerable species of traveller. They also suffer their unfair share of fatalities and serious injury. Schoolchildren returning home once the clocks go back must be very wary and have their bicycles properly lighted. Wear a helmet and visibility vest. Have the bicycle ‘serviced’ – just like a car owner does. Maybe a NCT- type inspection  for bicycles wouldn’t be such a bad idea.
Don’t cycle on footpaths and use cycle lanes where provided. Comply with pedestrian crossings and traffic lights.Keep well clear of left turning lorries, the driver may not see you.
Don’t weave in and out through traffic; keep both hands on the handlebars.
Enjoy the bike for as long as possible, it’s cheap to run, faster around town and there’s no road tax or insurance compulsorily on it, YET.
In the 1960s a rural dweller named Rogan was prosecuted at Mohill District Court for walking on the left side of the road. The law changed about that time and  pedestrians had to walk on the right. The Garda said he had warned Rogan of the change in the law but he had ignored it. The Judge asked him if he wished to say anything. Rogan replied, ‘Crimeney, your worship, I’d prefer be killed on the side of the road that I know best!’ He was fined a shilling and lived to a ripe old age,  refusing, meanwhile, to walk ‘right.’ Let today’s walkers be more enlightened.

The Minister, Noel, preached on Road Safety issues. The Road Safety Authority executive, another  Noel, spoke in similar tones. Assistant Commissioner, John Twomey, made his appeal, too, all on the one note, ‘Slow down and take safety seriously.’ In the last week of October, there were eight fatalities on our roads. It’s easy to see why those dark numbers are creeping up again. One day last week I drove from Mullingar to Longford in daylight and did the return journey at night. It’s in the 100kmh zone which I kept. But most of the time I found that I was literally in other drivers way. If I’m doing the maximum speed, I will not dare to pull in on the hard shoulder to let another driver pass. So a queue builds up behind me, but there’s no one in front. Yes, I’m in the way, keeping the maximum speedlimit. Then the half chance to overtake arises and on more than one occasion I was forced to pull left to allow the overtaker get back in in one piece. In one of those little episodes, a mature lady driver who had misjudged the speed of the oncoming vehicle, had to force her way back in between my right front wing and the flashing lights of the other driver. Such instances are very frequent experiences for most drivers. They may be just ‘little episodes’ because nothing of note transpired, no impact, just a close call, no injury and no death, no complaint of dangerous driving, no day out in Court. But, some of those incidents happened where there was a continuous white line breached. The attitude then is ‘I’m in a hurry, nothing is going to delay me.’ In looking at road crash scenes on television, where there was a head-on collision, there is so often one glaring aspect – that of the continuous white line and, often, close to a corner.

Now, it’s one thing for a car driver to overtake in such circumstances, but what of the juggernaut with a 40 foot container? And isn’t there supposed to be a suppressor on such lorry to prevent it exceeding its limit of 80kph? I understand that a private company has taken on the task of operating the national speed camera system and which came into operation on the 1st of this month. I don’t know how many, if any, there are on the Mullingar route West, but, the more the merrier for those who have a scintilla of consideration for the safety of others and themselves. Afterall, there have been 173 funerals this year and over 1000 people have suffered serious injury as a result of road crashes, a lot of grief, cost and loss to the economy.

Travelling at nightime can be quite uncomfortable with the glare of headlights from those who dip only when they come into your sightline. Then there’s the one who ‘sits’ on your rear bumper with dipped lights set too high and loves to do a Newgrange winter solstice brightening up your dark chamber! A common feature of nightime driving is illegal use of foglights. Some drivers use them automatically with headlights and, on meeting oncoming traffic, choose to dip the heads and do not extinguish the foglights: this causes not only discomfort, but actual danger. Foglights may be used only in fog or falling snow. It would be encouraging to see our good folk in the Traffic Corps act on this. The NCT brought about a great improvement in car headlight condition, but, I’m of the opinion that the enforcers have left it to those tests to deal with the lights issue on their own.

Young people of Ireland, as Papa Paul addressed you, it’s difficult not to harp on about your plight on the roads. In this year so far, passenger deaths of those aged 16 to 25 years account for almost 60% of all deaths. Responsibility lies with the driver to ensure that all passengers are belted up. If there is not a belt for each passenger, then the vehicle is overloaded. Youth, Innocence and no little responsibility seem to go hand in hand and if that is part of sowing wild oats it may also be the reason for the silly statistic quoted above. Know who your driver is, ensure he or she is in a healthy condition to drive: that includes drugs as well as drink. Ensure, too, that the vehicle is safe and not overloaded. Parents worry enough about their children; let the children start to give back more – and  continue to do so.