Give gift of a lift at Christmas
Louth County Council have launched a road safety campaign asking local people to give the ‘Gift of a Lift’ this Christmas.
With the festive party season now underway, revellers preparing to go out celebrating across Louth should think ahead to ensure everyone gets home safely.
Adrian O’Sullivan, Road Safety Officer with Louth County Council explained how vital the campaign is: ‘ The Christmas party season is getting into full swing and it’s a time when many of us will be out and about. To encourage people to get home safely, Louth County Council have launched their ‘Gift of a Lift’ road safety Christmas card campaign. The idea behind the initiative is that you commit to give a family member or friend one lift home or organise a taxi for them over the festive season using the specially designed ‘Here’s something that will give you a little lift this Christmas’ card.’
Adrian added “The ‘Gift of a lift’ card is a novel way of getting across a serous message as road users need to be extra careful at this time of year when roads are at their busiest and conditions can be dangerous. We have had one fatal accident in County Louth to date in 2019 which resulted in two people losing their lives, leaving behind devastated families who will be spending their first Christmas without their loved ones. In addition, there have been several serious accidents which didn’t make the news headlines but have left people with life changing injuries. I would appeal to everyone to ensure they have a safe and happy festive season and to take extra care when using the roads. It’s not worth taking a chance on driving if you have consumed any alcohol or drugs. Don’t let your actions spoil a good night out and bring tragedy to your family this Christmas.’
Inspector Ronan Carey from the Garda Roads Policing Unit Louth, welcomed the initiative, saying: ‘An Garda Síochána are reminding drivers to plan ahead when going out to celebrate over the holiday period. Leave the car keys at home and either get a taxi or designate a driver. Don’t forget you may still be over the legal alcohol limit the following morning, so don’t take any chances. Make the roads a safer place this Christmas. If you are thinking of drinking and driving this Christmas, prepare to be caught!’
This year’s Christmas campaign will continue throughout the Christmas and new year holiday period. Road users will see an increased amount of Mandatory Intoxicant Checkpoints being carried out throughout County Louth as Gardaí ensure the roads of County Louth are safe for all those who wish to travel to and from their homes this festive season. So far during 2019 three people have lost their lives on the roads of Louth and Inspector Carey’s plea is that this number isn’t added to.
Members of the National Ambulance Service and Louth Fire and Rescue are also supporting the ‘Gift of a lift’ initiative.
The card can be collected from any County Louth library branch or downloaded for free from the Road Safety section at www.louthcoco.ie.