Campaign aims to increase pedestrian safety

PEDESTRIANS have no chance of survival in an accident with a vehicle travelling over 40mph, the National Safety Council warned yesterday.

One-in-five people killed in road fatalities so far this year were walking on roadsides, the council said.

Coinciding with the October Bank Holiday, the council yesterday launched a campaign targeted at pedestrian safety.

The initiative, Eyes Wide Open, is aimed at reducing pedestrian casualties over the holiday weekend and, generally, during the approaching winter months where reduced daylight greatly increases the risk of accidents.

Up to yesterday, the 2002 road toll was 321 deaths, slightly less than the comparable period for last year. Pedestrians, however, account for 71 of the road deaths this year.

National Safety Council chief executive Pat Costello said, “With greater numbers of people travelling on the roads, Bank Holiday weekends are notoriously dangerous for all road-users but particularly pedestrians.

“There are added risks as bad weather and reduced hours of daylight make for poor driving conditions.”

Figures over the past four years show an average of 38 people killed on Irish roads during October with the bank holiday period claiming, on average five deaths.

With 18 fatalities so far this month, Mr Costello said, “We want to foster a greater sense of responsibility among all road users. We want motorists and pedestrians alike to have their eyes wide open to the added dangers.”

The new winter campaign was one of a number of new road safety initiatives introduced by the council this year. Driver reviver campaigns, promoted at the Easter and June bank holidays to help reduce driver fatigue, were highly successful, the council said.

Pedestrians are advised to take basic precautions such as wearing bright or reflective clothing, using footpaths where necessary or walking on the right hand side of the road facing traffic.

The road safety council has also urged drivers to expect the unexpected. The council pointed out that a pedestrian hit by a car, observing speed limits inside a 40mph limit, has up to a 90% survival chance. But a victim, hit by a vehicle exceeding 40mph, has no chance.

Upwards of 100,000 information leaflets will be distributed this weekend at shopping centres in Dublin, Cork, Galway, Limerick and Waterford and at major festival events in Cork and Dublin.