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26th Jun 2022

Gardaí launch social media campaign in response to rising number of deaths on the roads

Hugh Carr

Teenager crash Cork

83 people have died on the road this year so far.

An Garda Síochána is set to launch a social media campaign tomorrow in response to rising numbers of fatalities on the roads.

The #SlowDown campaign will launch at 2pm on Monday (27 June) as part of the Be A Lifesaver Road Safety initiative.

The campaign aims to “encourage all roads users to modify their behaviour on our roads and to encourage all age groups to think about road safety and how they can influence the behaviours of others.”

Over the recent June Bank Holiday alone, five lives were lost in incidents on the road.

“So far this year, 83 people have already lost their lives on our roads,” said Chief Superintendent Michael Hennebry, of the Garda National Roads Policing Bureau.

“This is not just a number, these are people, husbands, wives, fathers, mothers, brothers, sisters, friends, colleagues.

“Please reduce your speed in all circumstances, speed limits are not targets and we must change our driving culture and behaviours if we are to save the lives of those we love.”

The #SlowDown campaign will run from Monday until Sunday (3 July), featuring a number of #SlowDown ambassadors from around the country on social media.

The public are being encouraged to share the message to slow down on their own social media pages with the hashtag #SlowDown.

The campaign will be launched from An Garda Síochána’s Facebook page, @gardatraffic on Twitter and @gardainsta on Monday.