Donegal County Council has welcomed the new Road Safety campaign to encourage drivers and passengers to wear seat belts. The campaign ‘Belt up – Seat Belts Save Lives’ was launched by Pat ‘The Cope’ Gallagher, Minister for State at the Department of Transport on Monday evening last and is being rolled out by the Donegal Road Safety Working Group.
The campaign is aimed at reducing the numbers of casualties on local roads and being managed by the County Donegal Road Safety Working Group. The seat belt campaign will be the first in a series of campaigns highlighting simple road safety tips that will make their journeys safer.
Seat belts are proven lifesavers and have been shown to reduce the severity of injuries in the event of a collision. It is essential that they are worn front and rear on every journey no matter how long or how short. This campaign will include local radio advertisements illustrating two scenarios showing impatient passengers wanting to get on the road and the driver taking control and ensuring seat belts are fastened first before the engine is started.
Whilst surveys conducted by the NRA showing increasing seat belt usage, there is scope for improvement particularly with rear seat passengers. Unrestrained rear seat passengers involved in a collision are likely to be thrown about within the vehicle possibly injuring themselves and other passengers.
Speaking at the launch, the Mayor of Donegal County Council, Cllr. Dessie Larkin said that “this campaign is very timely given the number of casualties and fatalities in the County in recent times. The life saving importance of drivers and passengers wearing seat belts has been proven time and time again and it is hoped that this campaign will reinforce this message in everyones mind. It is our job to make sure that risk is minimised and although statistics show that 85% of drivers and front seat passengers wear seat belts, the percentage of back seat passengers wearing seat belts is much lower and this campaign must raise awareness of how important it is for all drivers and passengers to wear seat belts.
The Donegal Road Safety Working Group consists of members from different road safety stakeholder agencies. The agencies involved are:
· Donegal County Council
· An Garda Siochana
· Health Service Executive – North Western Area
· National Roads Authority
· National Safety Council
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For further information contact:
Anne Marie Conlon
Communications Officer
Donegal County Council
Tel: 074 91 72222
Mob: 087 9192275
Email: amconlon@donegalcoco.ie
Steven McCrory
Road Safety Engineer
Donegal County Council
Tel: 074 91 72222
Email: smccrory@donegalcoco.ie
6 March 2006