Elderly pedestrians at ‘daily risk’ as council plans Charleville safety crackdown

Charleville councillors push for urgent action after a decade of pedestrian deaths and injuries on the town’s main street

More than 10 pedestrians have been killed crossing Charleville’s main street in the past 10 years. Picture: Dan Linehan

A safety campaign will be launched in a North Cork town to address the number of pedestrian fatalities there in recent years.

More than 10 pedestrians have been killed crossing Charleville’s main street in the past 10 years, and numerous others have been injured by vehicles. The latest count is more than 20 injuries in the past five years.

Many of the fatalities were elderly people who didn’t use pedestrian crossings and walked out in front of lorries whose drivers couldn’t see them under their cabs.

The county council will liaise with local gardaí and business owners to help distribute hi-viz vests and leaflets promoting pedestrian safety.

The local authority will also arrange a visit to the town from the Street Smart RSA (Road Safety Authority) Roadshow, which travels nationwide to educate the public on road safety through simulators, hazard awareness, fatigue management, tyre safety and more.

The roadshow has visited the town before but targeted its campaign at local schools.

Fine Gael councillor Aileen Browne said schoolchildren were not the problem and that elderly people are most at risk on a daily basis.

She told a meeting of the Kanturk/Mallow Municipal District Council that she’d had a near miss recently with an older person who walked out from behind parked vehicles straight into the path of her car.

Ms Browne said that individual could have walked just a few metres to use one of a number of signalised crossings on the main street.

She said she brought forward the motion on a road safety campaign because of deep concerns about the safety of elderly pedestrians.

“I know the council has previously targeted schools for road safety campaigns. But it’s not the younger people who are the main culprits, it’s the older people. We need to create greater awareness,” Ms Browne said.

Fianna Fáil councillor Ian Doyle, who like Ms Browne also lives in the town, said an awareness campaign would be very welcome.

Ms Browne suggested that community organisations and sports clubs in the area be used to spread the road safety message.

“Unfortunately, we are all too aware of the tragedies that have occurred in Charleville in the past,” municipal district council chairman, Fianna Fáil councillor Gearóid Murphy, said.

Council officials said they would also try to develop a “countywide road safety campaign” with the help of the RSA.

Ms Browne and Mr Doyle also raised pedestrian safety concerns in relation to poor public lighting in Charleville town centre.

She said she’s very concerned that new energy-efficient LED lighting is not as good as the older lights it replaced and maintained this is again putting pedestrians at risk when crossing the main street.

Mr Doyle said the LED lights are shining at about 50% less than the older ones.

Council officials promised to carry out “a comprehensive review to identify and address any outstanding issues.”

Proposals for a relief road for Charleville have been published, which it is hoped will improve pedestrian safety in the town centre.

A number of potential routes have already been suggested and have gone out for public consultation.

Council engineers said they expect the preferred route to be selected by next summer.