The carnage on Irish roads must be reduced through local initiatives rather than a focus on national solutions, the National Safety Council (NSC) said today.
NSC Chairman Mr Eddie Shaw said: "Crashes do not occur on a "national level". They occur on the way to school, on the way home from the pub, at a dangerous junction on the edge of the town. They are local problems, requiring local solutions".
Mr Shaw was speaking at the first award ceremony for the Irish Road Safety Endeavour Awards in Galway City today. The awards are given to people who have helped raise public awareness and sense of responsibility about road safety.
Also speaking at the awards, sponsored by Vodafone, was Prince Michael of Kent, who set up the British Road Safety Award Scheme in 1987. He said the corporate world has an important role to play in road safety that goes beyond just a donation.
"Corporate social responsibility is a key aspect of modern business; and this is particularly the case in the motor industry," he said.
Centra Supermarkets were the overall winners of this year’s awards following the success of their "Safe and Sound" project for primary school children.
The Education Award went to Leitrim County Council for its creative use of puppeteering to bring a road safety message to primary school pupils.
Two students at Our Lady’s second level school in Co Monaghan, Mr Darren Finnegan and Mr Brendan Owens, received special commendations.
The Print Media Award went to the Irish Independent'sEnvironment Correspondent, Mr Treacy Hogan, for a series of road safety articles, and RTÉ's 5-7 Livewas awarded the Audio Visual Media Award for its week-long series on road safety.