St Patrick's Day safety campaign gets underway

Gardaí and the National Safety Council have launched a campaign aimed at avoiding any road deaths in the run-up to St Patrick’s Day.

Operation Lifesaver will target speeding motorists and those who drive under the influence of alcohol.

75 people have died on Ireland’s roads so far this year, a significant increase on the same period last year.

Speaking at today’s launch, NSC spokesman Pat Costello expressed particular concern about the increased number of multiple-vehicle crashes this year and the large number of elderly pedestrians being killed in recent road accidents.

Chief superintendent Denis Fitzpatrick, meanwhile, insisted that the penalty points scheme introduced in late 2002 was working, despite the increase in road deaths this year.

“The trend is generally downwards,” he said.