Taoiseach issues Easter road safety warning

Taoiseach Bertie Ahern has appealed to motorists to drive with care over the Easter Holiday weekend.

In a statement this morning, Mr Ahern advised drivers not to drink and drive and to reduce their speed.

The Taoiseach's appeal comes as figures from the Road Safety Authority reveal that 22 people have been killed in crashes over the Easter period in the last five years, with a further 52 people seriously injured.

"I would urge all those who use our roads to exercise extra caution, particularly over the coming long weekend when thousands of extra journeys will be made by road users," said Mr Ahern.

"It is a matter for individual road users to act responsibly on our roads and to take responsible decisions. By taking some simple advice, we can reduce the level of road deaths and serious injuries - put your seatbelt on, observe the speed limits and never ever drink and drive," he added.

An Garda Síochána has warned drivers that significant extra resources are being deployed this weekend in an attempt to reduce the number of fatal accidents. They will be focussing on drink-driving in particular.

Figures indicate that the St Patrick's Day holiday period saw a 25 per cent increase in detected drink-driving incidents compared to the same period in 2007.

Meanwhile, the RSA warned motorists of the dangers of driving while tired. RSA chief executive Noel Brett said that as many as one in five driver deaths in Ireland occur as a result of driver fatigue.

"Many people are simply unaware of the risks involved when you are a tired driver," said, Mr Brett. "The reality is, driving while tired affects your ability to react to hazards and, in some cases, can be fatal.

The RSA said research indicates that drivers who persist in fighting sleep can experience 'micro sleeps' whereby they will drift in and out of consciousness for up to 10 seconds during which time a driver has no control over the vehicle.

Drivers are advised to stop driving when tired, take two cups of coffee or other caffeine drinks, and take a 15 minute nap before resuming.