Reporter honoured for road safety role

The Irish Examiner has received a major award for its role in promoting road safety.

Reporter Seán McCárthaigh won the media category in the annual Leading Lights awards organised by the Road Safety Authority held in Dublin yesterday.

The prize was in recognition of a series of articles which highlighted the impact of reduced resources on enforcement levels by gardaí of road traffic legislation as well as an analysis of the RSA’s road safety strategy launched earlier this year.

Delighted to pick up the Media award for @irishexaminer at today's Leading LIghts awards ceremony organised by @RSAIreland

— Seán McCárthaigh (@seanmccarthaigh) December 11, 2013

The overall award went to Gertie Shields, the founder of the campaign group Mothers Against Drink Driving, in recognition of promoting road safety over several decades.

The Balbriggan-based campaigner founded the group following the death of her 19-year-old daughter Paula in 1983 when she was knocked down by a drunk driver, an incident which killed five others.

Ms Shields was motivated to highlight the issue of drink-driving after her daughter’s killer received a suspended jail sentence.

Hundreds of nominations were received from individuals and groups around the country. A total of 29 awards were presented by RSA chairman Gay Byrne, at a ceremony in Farmleigh.

Mr Byrne said Ms Shields’ lifelong work had contributed to a sea change in attitudes towards drink-driving, as well as changes in the legislation on blood alcohol levels and dangerous driving.

Mr Byrne recalled that Ms Shields first appeared on The Late Late Show in the 1980s. “To look back now on her ideas and recommendations in the early years of Mothers Against Drunk Driving is to see many of the measures that have, at last, been introduced in recent years,” Mr Byrne said.

He said that recent comments he had made expressing concern about enforcement levels should not be viewed as a criticism of gardaí.

However, Mr Byrne said progress of recent years in reducing road fatalities seems “to be unravelling before our eyes” due in part to reduced policing of road traffic legislation

The RSA chairman said his concern was to ensure that resources, which were currently “sorely depleted”, were available to gardaí to continue with the necessary levels of such vital work.

Mr Byrne warned that when there was a public perception of fewer gardaí on the roads, motorists would start becoming more complacent and careless.

Recognising safety on our roads

Other category winners were:

* Approved Driving Instructor (Car) — Diane Harvey

* Approved Driving Instructor (Bus) — Charlie Simpson

* Approved Driving Instructor (Truck) — Philip Rice

* Approved Driving Instructor (Motorcycle) — Jonathan Coburn

* Business — Shell E&P Ireland Ltd

* Education (Community) — Mizen Rovers GAA Club

* Education (Pre-School) — Learn Early Montessori Academy & Creche

* Education (Primary) — Scoil Bhríde, Athgarvan, Co Kildare

* Education (Primary) — Scoil Chlochair Mhuire, Carrigtwohill, Co Cork

* Education (Secondary) — Mount St Michael School, Rosscarbery, Co Cork

* Education (Special School) — Paul Ryan: Cope Foundation

* Emergency Services — Rescue Organisation Ireland/Eagraíocht Tarrthála Éireann

* Road Safety Officer — Seamus Storan

* Public Sector — 2 Artillery Regiment

* CPC Training Organisation of the Year — Musgrave Retail Partners Ireland

* CPC Trainer of the Year — Benedict Maguire

* Special awards were also made to rally drivers, Toni Kelly and Craig Breen, Kinsale Community School; and Dave Byrne of Newport Special Schools as well as to road safety ambassadors Micheál Ó Muircheartaigh, Ray D’Arcy, actor Keith McErlean, 2FM presenter Rick O’Shea, former Kerry footballer Pat Spillane, and Tipperary hurler Eoin Kelly.