Donegal road users urged to ‘Be Bright, Be Seen, Be Safe’ this winter

Donegal County Council and the Donegal Road Safety Working Group are calling on everyone to support the road safety campaign ‘Be Bright, Be Seen, Be Safe’.

People can support the campaign by wearing fluorescent or reflective clothing when walking, running or cycling this winter. Drivers can use dipped headlights during the day to improve visibility.

As evenings grow darker, it’s more important than ever to stay visible on the roads. Whether you’re walking, cycling or driving, wearing fluorescent or reflective clothing helps ensure you can be seen, while drivers are encouraged to use dipped headlights during the day, particularly if their vehicle does not have Daytime Running Lights. Increased visibility makes the roads safer for all road users.

The campaign aims to protect vulnerable road users - pedestrians, runners, cyclists and ensure they are clearly visible on short winter days. Of the road fatalities so far this year, 34 were pedestrians and RSA statistics show a rise in pedestrian injuries on Irish roads between October and December each year.

Pamela Smullen, Road Safety Officer Donegal County Council stated: “This campaign is a simple but powerful reminder that by taking small steps like wearing fluorescent and hi-visibility clothing or even a small strip of reflective material it can help other road users to see you at a distance. Drivers are encouraged to use dipped headlights during the day, together we can make a big difference in increasing visibility, preventing collisions and saving lives this winter.”

Donegal Road Safety Working Group is encouraging the community to get involved in promoting this important ‘Be Bright, Be Seen, Be Safe’ road safety message.

Individuals, schools, businesses, sports and community groups are encouraged to share a Be Bright, Be Seen, Be Safe message across their social platforms or raise awareness by promoting your own group to wear fluorescent, reflective, hi-visibility materials over the dark, winter months.

To assist members of the public to get involved, a limited supply of high visibility vests is available to members of the public at the Donegal County Council Public Service Centres in Dungloe, Donegal Town, Milford, Letterkenny and Carndonagh and at County House in Lifford while stocks last.

READ NEXT: Donegal County Council ‘committed’ to supporting Slí Cholmcille pilgrim trail

The Road Safety Authority have a wide range of road safety promotional materials that can be ordered online for by schools, third-level institutions, businesses or community groups through their website www.rsa.ie

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Tá Comhairle Contae Dhún na nGall agus Meitheal Sábháilteacht Bhóithre Dhún na nGall ag iarraidh ar gach duine tacú leis an fheachtas sábháilteachta ar bhóithre ‘Bí Slán agus Feiceálach’ trí éadach ardfheiceálach a chaitheamh agus iad ag siúl, ag rith nó ag rothaíocht an geimhreadh seo, agus iarrtar ar thiománaithe ceannsoilse maolaithe a úsáid i rith an lae chun feiceálacht ar na bóithre a fheabhsú.

De réir mar a dhruideann na tráthnónta dorcha linn, tá sé níos tábhachtaí anois ná riamh a chinntiú go bhfuil tú feiceálach ar na bóithre. Más ag siúl, ag rothaíocht nó ag tiomáint atá tú agus má chaitheann tú éadach ardfheiceálach, beidh tú le feiceáil ar na bóithre. Iarrtar ar thiománaithe ceannsoilse maolaithe a úsáid i rith an lae, go háirithe mura bhfuil Soilse Reatha Lae le fáil ar an ghluaisteán. Nuair atá daoine feiceálach ar na bóithre, bíonn na bóithre níos sábháilte do chách.

Is é aidhm an fheachtais ná úsáideoirí bóithre atá leochaileach a chosaint – coisithe, reathaithe, rothaithe agus a chinntiú go mbeidh siad le feiceáil go soiléir i rith laethanta beaga an gheimhridh. Astu sin a fuair bás ar na bóithre go dtí seo i mbliana, ba choisithe iad 34 acu agus léiríonn staitisticí ón RSA go bhfuil méadú ar líon na ngortuithe a bhaineann do choisithe ar bhóithre na hÉireann idir Deireadh Fómhair agus Nollaig gach bliain.

Dúirt Pamela Smullen, Oifigeach Sábháilteacht Bhóithre le Comhairle Contae Dhún na nGall, “Is meabhrúchán simplí ach cumhachtach é an feachtas seo chun gur féidir le daoine céimeanna beaga a ghlacadh cosúil le héadach nó ball éadaí ardfheiceálach a chaitheamh le go mbeidh úsáideoirí bóithre eile atá i bhfad uathu ábalta iad a fheiceáil. Moltar do thiománaithe ceannsoilse maolaithe a úsáid i rith an lae. Le chéile, is féidir linn dul i bhfeidhm ar dhaoine an geimhreadh seo trí chúrsaí feiceálachta a mhéadú, timpistí bóthair a chosc agus beatha daoine a shábháil.”

Tá Meitheal Sábháilteacht Bhóithre Dhún na nGall ag moladh don phobal páirt a bheith páirteach i gcur chun cinn na teachtaireachta tábhachtaí seo: ‘Bí Slán agus Feiceálach’.

Táthar ag moladh do dhaoine aonair, do scoileanna, do ghnólachtaí, do ghrúpaí spóirt agus pobail an mana ‘Bí Slán agus Feiceálach’ a roinnt ar a ngréasáin shóisialta nó feasacht a mhúscailt trí thabhairt ar a ngrúpa féin éadach frithchaiteach agus ardfheiceálach a chaitheamh le linn mhíonna dorcha an gheimhridh.

Chun gur féidir leis an phobal a bheith páirteach san fheachtas, tá soláthar teoranta de veisteanna sofheicthe ar fáil do bhaill den phobal ó Ionaid Seirbhísí Poiblí Chomhairle Contae Dhún na nGall ar an Chlochán Liath, i mBaile Dhún na nGall, i mBaile na nGallóglach, i Leitir Ceanainn agus i gCarn Domhnach agus lena chois sin, tá siad ar fáil ó Áras an Chontae i Leifear fad a bheidh siad ann.

Tá réimse leathan ábhar bolscaireachta a bhaineann le sábháilteacht ar bhóithre le fáil ón Údarás um Shábháilteacht ar Bhóithre. Tá siad ar fáil do scoileanna, d’institiúidí tríú leibhéal, do ghnólachtaí nó do ghrúpaí pobail agus is féidir ordú a chur isteach ag www.rsa.ie

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