More than two-thirds of pedestrians killed on Dublin's roads last year were in accidents involving trucks or buses, gardaí said yesterday. They were launching a campaign to highlight the dangers of large vehicles after the number of pedestrians killed in the city rose from 11 in 2003 to 24 in 2004.
The campaign is aimed at raising awareness of general road safety for pedestrians and, in particular, the large blind spot that bus and truck drivers have. Officers are urging people to cross roads at designated crossings but, if that is not possible, to at least stay away from buses and trucks.
Sgt Jim McAllister of Dublin's Traffic Division said gardaí had analysed the high level of pedestrian deaths, which accounted for half of all road deaths in Dublin last year.
"It quickly became apparent that two-thirds involved a large vehicle," he said. "We had to do something to try and have an immediate reduction in these type of fatalities." Sgt McAllister said gardaí wanted the message to reach older people as well as the young, as 62 per cent of pedestrians killed were aged 50 or over.
Gardaí are urging people not to cross roads near trucks or buses, and warning: "If you can't see the driver, the driver can't see you."