Keep roads safe this winter

Road Safety Week is set to begin on Monday 7 October and will run until 13 October.

In the run up to the safety awareness campaign, Cork County Council has organised the RSA Educational Shuttle to visit Youghal on 3 October and Kinsale on 5 October.

These are free public events and the council is encouraging the communities in both areas to go along and experience this interactive road safety education.

Inside the Education Shuttle, safety enthusiasts will find an activity zone with quizzes such as the meaning of road signs, safe or unsafe behaviour, a virtual reality zone where you can experience cycling, driving a motor cycle and car simulator while dangers covered include fatigue, breaking distances, phone use and safe cycling.

Also on site will be a roll over car simulator.

Cork County Council provides a road safety education service to primary and secondary schools in Cork which includes interactive virtual reality.

To register for a free educational workshop or school visit email caroline.casey@corkcoco.ie.

Road safety facts include:

* Driver distraction - in every four crashes at least one is down to driver distraction.

* Noisy/unruly behaviour in the car leads to three second eyes off the road doing an average speed. One second to turn around, one second to correct behaviour and one second to look forward again, in this time you will travel the width of a soccer pitch in distance.

* Phone use – a two second glance doubles your chance of crashing. You are four times more likely to crash if you are speaking on the phone and 23 times more likely to crash if you are texting on the phone.

Road safety tips include:

* Be present when driving

* Be conscious of your behaviour and how it can impact on others around you and in your car

* Belt up before your take off

* Your children are watching you - model safe behaviour

* Wear a hi-visibility vest around the roads whether you are walking, cycling or driving a motorcycle

* Wear appropriate sunglasses for glare from sun, wet roads makes the sun glare even worse

* Supervise children at all times around the road

* Wear cycle helmets at all times when cycling and use cycle lanes if available

* Do not use a mobile phone while driving

* Speak to your children about safe behaviour in the car before you drive off anywhere