Roscommon Gardai will be involved today in the national speed enforcement operation “Slow Down”, supported by the Road Safety Authority and other stakeholders, for a 24 hour period from 07.00hrs on Friday 21st October to 07.00hrs on Saturday 2nd October 2016.
The objective of operation “Slow Down Day” is to reduce the number of speed related collisions, save lives and reduce injuries on our roads. The aim is to remind drivers of the dangers of speeding, increase compliance with speed limits and act as a deterrent to driving at excessive and inappropriate speed.
As of 19th October 2016 there have been 148 road deaths, an increase of 24 fatalities on this date last year.
Excessive Speed was a contributory Factor in a third of road deaths between 2008 and 2012 according to the RSA’s Pre Crash report on Fatal Collisions which looked at excessive speed as a factor.
The higher the speed, the greater the likelihood of a collision happening and the chances of survival. As a general rule a 1% reduction in average speed will bring about a 4% reduction in fatal collisions, and this is why reducing motorists’ speed is essential to improving road safety.
