Reminder to hold firm on safety as schools re-open

With all primary school children returning to school this week, Cork County Council’s Road Safety Office issues a timely reminder to help each other stay safe in our daily lives, especially getting to and from school and at the school gate.

Building on Cork County Council’s Heads Up Pedestrian Safety Campaign, parents and guardians are being asked to role model safe pedestrian behaviour on the way to, from and outside the school gates.

Tragically 16 people lost their lives in 2020 on county Cork roads, with a further 63 serious injuries and 244 minor injuries recorded. The 2020 road statistics show pedestrian fatalities figure highly.

With Primary Schools reopening this week there will be a larger volume of pedestrians on our roads than in recent times and all road users are reminded to exercise extra caution.

‘DROP & GO’

Mayor of the County of Cork, Cllr Mary Linehan Foley, urged parents to heed the advice at an important time in the country’s fight against the pandemic.

“The school gate can become a hazard if parents congregate at drop off or pick up times. The temptation is naturally to stay and chat, but Cork County Council is asking our school community to drop and go at school gates, to wear a mask, to ensure your child is safe around the road and wear a Hi-Viz jacket to help visibility.”

Mayor Foley also commended the work of Cork County Council’s Road Safety Office.

“A huge amount of work is carried out by our road safety office to promote safety awareness. Primary schools webinars late last year catered for 4,000 primary school children, while secondary school road safety workshops are ongoing, with a focus on safe decision making. A recent joint campaign with Community Gardaí and the RSA resulted in 4,000 Hi-Viz and educational packs distributed to county Cork communities.

“We all need to remember the road is a shared space, let’s push for a safer space for us all. Take that extra time to think about others when making choices around the road. It could save a life,” she said.

Cork County Council’s interschool’s Road Safety Quiz will be launched over the coming weeks and will run from Easter to Summer term. For further updates and information on Cork County Council’s Road Safety Office ‘Heads Up’ pedestrian safety campaign, visit corkcoco.ie