Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport Leo Varadkar has appealed to Leaving and Junior Cert students to be road safety conscious at all times when celebrating the end of their exams.
With seven per cent of all road death victims this year aged between 16 and 20, Minister Varadkar joined with Road Safety Authority CEO Noel Brett to appeal to young people to prioritise road safety during their celebrations:
Consider using public transport to get to and from your destination safely.
Learner drivers must be accompanied by a full licence holder, who has held that licence for more than two years.
Never drink or drug drive, do not use a mobile phone while driving, do not drive too fast for the conditions, and always wear your seatbelt.
Young drivers should remember they are among the most vulnerable of our road-users.
The RSA has the following advice for parents and their young adults:
For parents, ask your son or daughter to avoid driving late at night as this is a high risk period for crashes, particularly among young people.
For any young adults choosing to drive at night, remember that any amount of alcohol or drugs impairs your driving which could lead to a serious collision.
Do not carry more people in your car than is safe. Consider limiting it to two or three passengers and ask them to avoid distracting you while you are driving.
Always obey the speed limits and never drive faster than your experience or the roads allow.
Do not get into a car if you do not trust the driver or feel your safety is being compromised, and do not be afraid to speak out.
While it is reassuring for young adults to carry a mobile phone, never talk on your phone or text while driving. Research says that you are four times more likely to crash if you use a hand-held mobile phone while driving and 23 times more likely to crash if you text while driving.
Remember, everyone in the car should wear their seatbelt, both in the front and rear of the car.
