St. Patrick's Bank Holiday weekend road safety appeal

With preparations well underway to celebrate St. Patrick’s Day, Louth County Council are  appealing to all road users to act responsibly and ‘Go dté tú slán’ (Arrive alive).

Louth County Council’s Road Safety Officer, Adrian O’Sullivan said: “Everyone should be able to feel safe without the fear of meeting a driver who’s impaired through alcohol or drugs. Do your bit this St. Patrick’s Bank Holiday weekend, to stop these drivers from putting someone’s life at risk. If they don’t listen, please phone your local Garda station or Garda Traffic Watch on lo-call number 1890 205 805 and report it - you might just save a life.  The St. Patrick’s festival is a period of national celebration, and we want people to have fun, but we are reminding road users that everyone must do their part to help keep roads safe”.   

Sergeant Declan Higgins from the Louth Roads Policing Unit has the following advice to ensure that anyone planning to socialise over St. Patrick’s Bank Holiday weekend has a safe time:

* Never ever drink and drive. Any amount of alcohol impairs driving, so leave the car at home.  A recent report issued by the RSA found that 39% of driver fatalities had a positive toxicology for alcohol, with young men being significantly over-represented.

* Plan ahead for your journey home, whether by taxi, with a designated driver or public transport. 

* Don’t walk home if you’re drunk, Figures released by the RSA in 2019 have shown that almost half (49%) of pedestrians killed on our roads had consumed alcohol.

* If you are a passenger, remember to wear your seatbelt, as there is a close link between alcohol consumption and the non-wearing of seatbelts in fatal accidents.

* Don’t forget that you could still be over the limit the next morning, so take the necessary precautions.  An analysis of Garda Síochána investigation files for fatal collisions, by the RSA, show that 11% of fatal collisions, in which a driver had consumed alcohol occurred between 7am and 11am.  Approximately one in ten drink driving arrests happen between 8am and 2pm, so if you have had a late night out, please leave the car at home.  

As of 11th March 2024, a total of 40 people were killed on Irish roads. This represents an increase of 2 compared to the same period in 2023. Unfortunately, two of this year’s fatalities occurred in Co Louth.  Everyone should take responsibility for their actions on the road to prevent this figure being added to over the bank holiday weekend.

Arrive Alive road safety appeal