Gardaí urge caution after surge in motorcycle deaths

Gardaí will mount a major safety campaign this bank holiday weekend after a spike in motorcycle deaths.

Thu, 30 Apr, 2015 - 01:00

Eoin English

Since January, five motorcyclists have died in crashes compared to two in the same period last year.

And five people died and six were seriously injured over last year’s May bank holiday period.

A general appeal was launched in Cork as gardaí urged motorists to exercise extreme care on motorways.

A total of 94 people have died in 90 fatal collisions on Cork roads in the past four years, with six deaths on the region’s roads, so far, in 2015.

In one motorway incident, gardaí clocked a motorist driving at 120kmh past an accident site just inches from where emergency personnel were working to save lives.

Regional traffic inspector Finbarr O’Sullivan said gardaí and firefighters responding to motorway accidents had also, in other incidents, been forced to jump out of the way of speeding cars.

“Motorway or dual carriage way accidents present specific problems. We had situations where members trying to warn oncoming traffic had to jump off the road, where vehicles continued through the accident site at 100 or 120kmh.

“This presents huge difficulties because a person is completely vulnerable at the side of the road.”

He was speaking at a joint emergency exercise with Cork City and County fire services and the National Ambulance Service on a section of the N22 at Ballincollig yesterday to find ways of minimising road accident risks. The exercise tested their ability to implement diversions and closures, to safely deploy vehicles and equipment, and manage a motorway accident scene.

“We would urge people to drive within the speed limit, to have good vision ahead of you by allowing enough space between you and the vehicle in front, and to slow down and use hazard lights in and around an accident site,” Insp O’Sullivan said.