Over 3,000 young people from Donegal, Derry and Tyrone will attend this week’s Road Safe Road show in the Aura Leisure Centre Letterkenny.
The Road Safe Road Show is a unique partnership between Donegal County Council and members of the Donegal Road Safety Working Group which provides a platform to positively influence the driving behaviour of young students as they commence their driving careers.
The show will be seen by over 3,000 students from the County’s twenty-seven post-primary schools and six Youthreach centres. The show continues to receive excellent support from schools in Northern Ireland with the Police Service of Northern Ireland assisting with the registration of over 900 students to attend from Derry and Tyrone.
To date 118 people have lost their lives as result of a road traffic collisions in Ireland in 2017, 5 of these on Donegal’s roads.
Brian O’Donnell Road Safety Officer with Donegal County Council said: “It is a sad fact that almost everyone in this county knows someone who was killed or seriously injured in road traffic collisions in Donegal. This show offers our young people the opportunity to learn about the consequences of poor driving behaviour on our roads. Our hope is that this show will have a positive influence on them and help to keep them safe on our roads in the future.”
He adds “we are delighted that so many schools support the Road Safe Show concept. This show gives us an incredible opportunity to deliver a challenging message which graphically illustrates the dangers young motorists can face, how quickly things can go wrong and how lives can be shattered.
“We believe that showing realistically what happens on our roads has a strong impact on the students who attend.
“I hope that after seeing the show, they realise that they are not indestructible, that they are more vulnerable on the roads and that they must respect the roads and other road users. I would like to express our sincere thanks to all the speakers involved for their continued commitment to the Road Safe Show,” Mr O’Donnell said.
Oisin Kelly at the Donegal Road Safe Show – 10 Years delivering the message‘- Remember, the next time it could be you’ in the Aura Leisure Centre. Photo Clive Wasson
Cathaoirleach of Donegal County Council, Cllr Gerry McMonagle says that “this is a very important event in our Road Safety Programme, and its value is in the positive and lasting impression it leaves on the young people who attend the show. They can see clearly that road traffic collisions affect many people, from the immediate family and friends to the emergency services who have to attend the horrific scenes. It is through educating our young people about the dangers that they can face on the roads that we can make a difference.
“We need to get the message to our young people, that before they get into a car with a driver who exceeds the speed limit, or someone who may be under the influence of drink, or who has taken drugs, or by not wearing their seatbelts, or who use their mobile phone while driving; to stop and think, because the trauma and devastation that is brought on your family and on the local community as a result of a road traffic collision is totally avoidable, no family should have to suffer the pain and loss of a loved one as a result of a road traffic collision”.
The Road Safe Show road safety message is being delivered to Donegal, Derry & Tyrone students in the Aura Leisure Centre Letterkenny on Tuesday 10th October at 11.00am & 1.30pm with a further show on Wednesday 11th October at 11.00am.
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