Be Winter Ready

Advice is being made available from a number of sources including government departments, An Garda Síochána, the Health Service Executive, local authorities and the transport providers through a dedicated website, www.winterready.ie.

The advice has been categorised under various headings including: the home, road safety, schools, the farming community and the business sector. A synopsis of the information available has been compiled into a booklet which can be downloaded from the website.

Check it Fits- Car Safety Checks

For many parents, fitting a child’s car seat correctly can be really difficult – and that’s once you have worked out which one to buy. The good news is that the Road Safety Authority (RSA) has a new, full-time, nationwide, free expert service to help parents, grandparents and guardians to choose the right child seat or restraint and fit it safely and securely in their cars. The service is called ‘Check it Fits’.
Currently, in Ireland, incorrectly fitted child car seats are a significant cause for concern, with as many as 3 out of 4 seats potentially fitted incorrectly.

If a child car seat isn’t fitted correctly, it could lead to a serious or fatal injury in the event of a collision. The ‘Check it Fits’ Service will help parents and guardians to fit child car seats and restraints correctly, providing peace of mind that their children are safely restrained in the car.

As part of the “Check it Fits” service, the RSA’s team of experts will check child car seats and restraints to see if they are correctly fitted.

If child car seats or restraints are incorrectly fitted, the experts will advise on how to fix the problem, demonstrate how to fit the restraint correctly and answer any queries participants might have. The checking process takes about 10-15 minutes and is free of charge.

For further information, please visit the RSA’s website www.rsa.ie/checkitfits, on Facebook www.facebook.com/RSAIreland and Twitter twitter.com/RSAIreland
For more information on Child Safety in Cars visit www.rsa.ie/childsafetyincars

Safety on the Roads

The Road Safety Authority (RSA) has primary responsibility for the promotion of road safety awareness throughout Ireland.  Laois County Council in conjunction with the RSA is committed to promoting and creating awareness of all aspects of road safety in Laois. This includes visits to schools where possible and supporting the Cycle Training Schemes with schools.

The three main causes of death and injury on Irish roads are speeding, drink driving and non-wearing of seat belts.

1. Excessive or inappropriate speeding is the cause of a quarter of all fatal crashes each year.
2. Drink driving is a factor in over one third of all fatal crashes in Ireland.
3. Without a seat belt three out of four people will be killed or seriously injured in a head-on collision.

The council operates a programme of education and awareness of road safety which involves promoting the need for caution and awareness of the dangers on the roads in Laois.

This programme includes visits to schools by the Road Safety Officer where possible. With the co-operation of teachers, the Gardaí and parents these schemes make a significant contribution to road safety.

Road Safety Authority

Please see Laois County Council's Road Safety Strategy plan for 2024-2031 below

Top Tips for Driving in Wet, Windy and Flooded Conditions

When driving in wet and windy conditions road users need to take particular care. 

Specifically drivers should heed the following advice:

• It takes longer to stop a vehicle on wet roads so slow down and allow extra distance between you and the vehicle in front.
• Watch out for falling/fallen debris on the road and vehicles veering across the road
• Control of a vehicle may be affected by strong cross winds. High sided vehicles and motorcyclists are particularly vulnerable to strong winds
• Take special care when driving behind goods vehicles as they generate a considerable amount of spray which reduces your visibility
• Allow extra space between you and vulnerable road users such as cyclists and motorcyclists
• Drive with dipped headlights at all times
• Be aware of the danger of aquaplaning especially on roads with 100 km/h and 120 km/h roads.
• Check tyres and replace them if the thread depth is below 3mm

With added risks posed by wet or flooded roads the RSA has the following advice:

• If the road ahead is flooded choose another route, do not attempt to drive through it. Flooded roads that appear shallow could be deeper than you think.
• After going through water, drive slowly with your foot on the brake pedal for a short distance - this helps to dry the brakes.
• Sometimes roads can be closed due to their fragile state after wet weather or because they are blocked by flooding.
• Road users should always follow recommended routes and obey signs closing roads to traffic
• Watch out for washed out roads, earth slides, broken water or sewer mains, loose or downed electrical wires, and fallen or falling objects

Advice for Pedestrians & Cyclists:

• Be seen.  Wear a high visibility jacket or reflective armband
• Walk on a footpath, not in the street.  Walk on the right hand side of the road, facing traffic if there are no footpaths
• Take extra care when near traffic or crossing the road in extremely windy conditions as a sudden gust of wind could blow you into the path of an oncoming vehicle.

The RSA has prepared a helpful guide ‘Severe Weather Advice for Road Users’ which you can download from the RSA’s website. It has lots more useful advice on dealing with the difficult road conditions in all kinds of severe weather.