39 detections in mayo as garda issue festive season warning

AN Garda Síochána have issued a warning to motorists to exercise care on the roads over the coming festive season.

To date in 2014, 28 people have died on the roads, 10 of them in Mayo. An Garda Síochána want to ensure those numbers do not increase over the Christmas and New Year period so that families do not have to suffer as a result of the death of a loved one because of a road traffic collision.

The Garda Síochána Western Region Road Safety Christmas Campaign 2014, which began on December 1, will continue until January 4. Its primary focus will be on speeding, drunk driving, failure to wear seat belts and distraction driving (use of mobile phones and fatigue).

The campaign will see over 60 checkpoints per day carried out across the region. This year there is a morning element to a percentage of those checkpoints focusing on drink driving.

As part of the campaign, enforcement of all road traffic legislation will be increased and large urban towns will be given special attention on weekend nights.

To date, since the start of the campaign, a total of 39 detections have been recorded in Mayo.

Said a garda spokesman: “The detection results show that people are continuing to use mobile phones while driving despite repeated warnings. Therefore our targeted enforcement operations in this and other areas will continue right across the Christmas and New Year period.

“We would urge all road users to ensure they take responsibility for their safety while using the roads this Christmas and in particular pedestrians should ensure that they are visible while out walking. We urge all passengers travelling in vehicles to be aware of the driver’s condition and take action to prevent any accident occurring due to dangerous or careless driving.

“We wish all road users a safe and happy Christmas and new year. We ask everyone to remember to ensure any action they might take while using the roads does not result in the loss of a life or serious injury to anyone.”

The garda officer heading the campaign in Mayo is Inspector Mandy Gaynor.