Five more road fatalities as RSA steps up safety campaign

AS the death toll on Irish roads rose to 122, the head of the new Road Safety Authority has appealed to parents to invest as much in driving lessons as they do in ballet or art classes for their children.

Noel Brett, chief executive designate of the RSA, was speaking as a trainee garda became the 122nd person to die on the nation's roads so far this year.

Trainee Garda Martin Coen, aged 26, of Lacken, Kilmihill, Clare, was on his way to work at Kells, Co Meath, when the car he was driving struck two stray horses on a road outside Navan, Co Meath, on Saturday. Both animals also died.