Council's leading role in reducing road carnage is recognised

The remarkable reduction in road fatalities on County Meath roads has seen Meath County Council winning the public sector category of the Road Safety Authority's Leading Lights in Road Safety Awards. The awards were presented by Gay Byrne, chairman of the Road Safety Authority, at a ceremony in Farmleigh, where he congratulated the council on the quality of its submission and its ongoing commitment to road safety and the protection of lives. The annual Leading Lights in Road Safety Awards recognise the outstanding efforts of people across Ireland to make roads safer for all. The public sector category recognises a public body which has committed to promoting road safety and which has made a significant contribution to road safety in its community. Since 2005, Meath County Council has been working in partnership with key stakeholders such as the gardaí, the HSE, the NRA, the Department of Transport and councillors to develop and implement road safety plans. This work has contributed to an 80 per cent reduction in the number of fatalities on the county's roads. In 2005, 30 people lost their lives on Meath's roads and this number fell to six people in 2010. The number of serious injuries has also fallen significantly over the period. Noel Brett, CEO of the RSA, noted that the award to the council was in recognition of "the great work you have done to save lives and prevent serious injuries on our roads". He added: "Meath County Council is to be commended on its road safety measures especially in such a challenging environment with so many roads running though the county and such a high level of commuter traffi.c" The award is considered by the council as an acknowledgement of the huge dedication and contribution made by all who are committed to reducing fatalities and injuries on the county's roads. This commitment spans all levels of the council's organisation from the county manager to all personnel involved with the county's road network to elected representatives. Accepting the award on behalf of Meath County Council, cathaoirleach Cllr Eoin Holmes paid tribute to all involved in the council's road safety initiatives. "This award recognises the enormous effort put in by so many people and championed by Meath County Manager, Tom Dowling. The task now is to build on the progress made to date to ensure that we can expand on these road safety achievements," he said. Road safety objectives are to the forefront of all strategic decisions and proposals implemented by the council. The council's approach focuses on four key areas - engineering, education, evaluation and enforcement. In terms of engineering initiatives, council engineers have worked to tackle accident blackspots and to improve pedestrian safety. Education has also been to the fore with road safety education programmes delivered to tens of thousands of people throughout the county. Continuous evaluation of existing road safety plans has also meant that the council remains responsive to improving its road safety plan where necessary. Finally, enforcement is also viewed as critical, with particular emphasis placed on illegal parking, preventing the roadside sale of cars and illegal advertisement signage. The Approved Driving Instructor (Motorcycles) Award was presented to Aidan Sheehan from Dunshaughlin who has been an ADI since June 2009. He is also approved as an Initial Basic Training (IBT) provider and has a centre in Dunshaughlin. Aidan was chosen for this award because of his high level of knowledge and understanding as well as a very high level of practical riding skill, which is essential for those seeking to act as mentors for young learners. Also at the awards, the Irish Girl Guides (IGG) collected an award for the community education category, and were represented by Alice McGrane and Heather English from Cealla Guide Unit in Kells. Accompanying them was IGG president Maureen Dillon, who is also from Kells. IGG sold over 5,000 road safety badges to members from the youngest Ladybird to the most experienced Leader and hope that this number will continue to grow. The youngest ones learn about road safety through songs and simple games, while the older ones learn about pedestrian and bike safety. They also learn about the dangers of driving whilst speaking on a mobile phone and how important it is to belt up.