AA lends its support to Project EDWARD

Here’s a frightening statistic – on average, 70 people die and a further 370 are seriously injured every day on Europe’s roads. Here in Ireland, 111 people have died on our roads this year to date, an 18% decrease on the same period last year but still far too many. If this trend continues, 44 more people will lose their lives here by the end of the year.

To help raise awareness of the issues, Irish road users are being urged to make Wednesday 19th September European Day Without A Road Death. Also known as Project EDWARD, this is the second year of the initiative organised by TISPOL, the traffic police network in Europe, with the aim that no-one dies on European roads this Thursday.

The first Project EDWARD day was on Wednesday 21st September 2016. According to TISPOL’s statistics, there were 43 road deaths across 31 countries on that day, compared with 70 fatalities on the same day in 2015. 19 countries recorded zero fatalities, though sadly Ireland was not one of them.

To support this year’s Project EDWARD, road users are again being asked to make an online pledge to be a better, safer driver. The pledge covers many different aspects of road safety, including correct use of lights, avoiding tailgating, vehicle maintenance, drugs and alcohol and more.

You can add your name to the pledge at www.tispol.org/edward.

AA Director of Consumer Affairs Conor Faughnan said:

“Road deaths still shatter Irish families and Irish communities far too often. We have made a lot of progress compared to earlier years but we cannot be satisfied because every road death is avoidable.

“Initiatives like Project EDWARD point the way to the future. It’s a particularly timely reminder to motorists of the importance of driving safely as, unfortunately, we’re moving into the time of year when accidents are more likely because of reduced daylight and changeable driving conditions.

“We want to live in a country where no-one dies on our roads. Every driver and every road user knows what we have to do to bring that about. It starts with us, and that is why I am supporting Project EDWARD and making the promise to do my part.”

THE PROJECT EDWARD PLEDGE:

I promise that I will:

• Remind my family, friends and colleagues to take extra care on the roads.
• Put my lights on for safety.
• Drive as safely as I can and follow the rules when behind the wheel or riding a motorbike or bicycle.
• Be extra vigilant and attentive to the needs of pedestrians, cyclists, children, older people and horse riders.
• Drive at speeds that are both legal and safe.
• Carry out proper safety checks on my tyres.
• Pay particular attention when driving near schools, and where there are lots of children.
• Never drive after drinking alcohol or taking drugs/medicines that could impair safety.
• Look as far ahead as possible and not tailgate other drivers
• Always wear my seat belt and ensure that everyone with me wears theirs.
• Not use my mobile phone while driving.
• Ensuring I am not distracted by anything inside or outside the car, or inside my head.
• Set a good example to my passengers by driving calmly and safely.

For more on the dangers of drink-driving, check out our blog post here.

Photo by Mick Garratt, used under CC-BY-SA-2.0 licence