Road safety event puts Cork students on right track

County Cork emergency services recently held a road safety event for secondary school students in Fermoy, the first in a series of talks organised by Cork County Council in collaboration with Cork County Fire Service, the National Ambulance Service, the gardaí, and road safety advocates.

With more than 400 pupils in attendance from five secondary schools across the county, the transition and fifth-year students heard personal stories from Mark Dalton, 23, who suffered life-changing injuries in a crash, and Leo Lieghio, a father whose daughter was killed in a road traffic incident.

The students also were given a talk by crews from Cork County Fire Service, who provided an insight into how they respond to road traffic collisions and the aftermath.

The event also saw an outdoor demonstration showcasing what happens at the scene of a road traffic collision with all emergency services working together. This included the fire service using cutting equipment and the ambulance service showing students how a casualty is extracted from a vehicle using a spinal board.

Importance

Cork Mayor Joe Carroll noted the importance of events such as this one in highlighting the issue of road safety.

"With 60 of the 174 people tragically lost on Irish roads last year under the age of 25, it is vital that we keep the road safety message out there for the youth in our communities. 

"I would like to thank both Mark and Leo for telling their stories, which I’m sure resonated with and will have a lasting impact upon all present.

“The road safety message is simple — I am appealing to everyone to belt up, slow down, and avoid all distractions in the car, especially the mobile phone.”

Inspector Jason Wallace, of Fermoy Garda Station, said the event will make a difference regarding road safety.

“This was an exceptionally worthwhile initiative in the ongoing effort to reduce the unacceptable number of road deaths and injuries on our roads and the impact on families," he said.

The next road safety event and multi-school workshop will take place in Mallow in May.