Campaign targets dangers caused by very slow drivers

A campaign has been launched targeting the dangers caused by slow drivers on Irish roads.

The campaign does not want motorists to start driving at speeds they are not comfortable with, but aims to get them to pull in and let others pass.

The campaign has been launched by Mayo County Council after it was discovered that almost 7% of accidents in the county were caused by improper overtaking.

Some of these accidents have been caused by reckless overtaking but in other cases the accident resulted from a driver overtaking particularly slow vehicles.

The road safety officer with Mayo County Council, Noel Gibbons, said that those who drive too slowly without considering other road users may be contributing to the high toll of road collisions.

“Motorists can experience increased stress levels and heightened irritability when faced with a vehicle driving slower than the rest of the traffic,” he said.

Mr Gibbons said while plenty of people complain about drivers speeding, drink-driving and tailgating, there are other categories of drivers which may not be so obvious but are still at risk to themselves and others.

“Slow drivers may unknowingly contribute to other motorists making sometimes fatal overtaking manoeuvres.

“We are asking drivers to regularly check mirrors and be aware of what is behind your vehicle.

“What they should endeavour to do is drive at the speed appropriate to the conditions, if they’re not comfortable in doing that, we’re not asking them to speed up, we’re asking them to give way to following vehicles.

“They must be aware of the tail of vehicles behind them and by ignoring that, they’re actually driving without due care and attention.

“The premise is simple, reduce the need to overtake, and it follows there would be less overtaking collisions,” said Mr Gibbons.

A survey found that in the period from 1996-2010, 6.6% of all accidents in Co Mayo were caused by improper overtaking.

Five of these accidents resulted in fatalities, a further 29 were regarded as “serious” and there were 87 minor accidents.

Speeding accounted for 41 of the 124 fatalities in Mayo during that period.

Mr Gibbons said a slow vehicle does not entitle a driver behind to tailgate and intimate another driver: “The drivers of faster moving vehicles don’t have the ‘right’ to intimidate slower drivers off the road. We are just asking that drivers, whether slow or fast, to appreciate they are not alone on the road network and that they have obligations to all other drivers.”