Public urged to take care on roads when out and about this Easter weekend

AUTHORITIES ARE URGING the public to take care when out and about on the roads this Easter weekend.

Gardaí are running a bank holiday road safety enforcement campaign across the country.

“It will see increased visibility, increased checkpoints on our roads. This is an Easter Bank Holiday weekend, it is a time for people to travel, to meet family, too socialise,” Superintendent Liam Geraghty from the Garda Press Office said, saying that gardaí want people to “get home safely” by the end of the weekend.

“We’ve had 48 deaths on our roads so far this year,” Geraghty told RTÉ’s Morning Ireland.

“Every single death is one too many and leaves those families traumatised, and friends and work colleagues.”

Geraghty added that life-changing injuries resulting from road crashes carry a burden can also “change the lives” of the emergency staff who respond to the scene and treat them later in hospital.

The Road Safety Authority has also urged people to take care on the roads during Orange and Yellow weather warnings issued earlier by Met Eireann.

Drivers are advised to slow down and allow greater braking distance in wet conditions, particularly on high-speed roads such as dual carriageways and motorways.

Pedestrians and cyclists are also advised to ensure they are visible to other road users during poor weather conditions.

There is an Orange rainfall warning for Wicklow until 11am tomorrow where there will be spells of heavy rain which may cause localised flooding.

There are Yellow rainfall warnings for Carlow, Dublin, Kilkenny, Louth, Wexford, Waterford until 12pm tomorrow.

Cork and Kerry are under Yellow rain warnings until 9pm today.

Clare, Galway, Mayo are under similar warnings until 9pm today with heavy rain forecasted. There is possibility of localised flooding and difficult travelling conditions according to Met Éireann.

The RSA said it was advising drivers to slow down and allow a greater braking distance between themselves and the vehicle in front in wet weather conditions.

“This is especially important on high-speed roads such as dual carriageways and motorways where there is increased danger of aquaplaning,” the RSA said in a statement.

Take special care when driving behind goods vehicles as they generate a considerable amount of spray which reduces your visibility, hold back to where you can see their mirrors.

If the road ahead is flooded choose another route, the RSA said drivers should not attempt to drive through it because the road may not be as shallow as it appears.

“After going through water, drive slowly with your foot on the brake pedal for a short distance,” the RSAI said, adding that this helps to dry the brakes.