Mayo bank holiday safety appeal on Amber Thursday
THE cathaoirleach of Mayo County Council, Councillor John O’Hara, along with fire, road and water safety officials, gathered at Lough Lannagh in Castlebar this morning to launch this year’s Amber Thursday ahead of the August bank holiday weekend, which is traditionally a busy time for such services.
After another tragic weekend on the roads just gone, resulting in multiple fatalities in separate incidents, and with people taking to the water, having barbecues or campfires etc., Amber Thursday is an inter-agency joint initiative to raise awareness of the risks and dangers on the road, in water or with fire.
This year, there is a heavy focus on road safety.
Said Councillor O’Hara: “I want to commend all our emergency services in the work they do every day protecting the lives of our citizens. Amber Thursday is a day to remind everyone that there are risks every time you use a road, go into the water or interact with anything flammable and that everyone needs to make sure they do things as safely as possible.”
Mayo County Council’s road safety officer, Frances Mitchell, said: “Amber Thursday is a chance to continue to raise awareness around not just road safety, but also water and fire safety ahead one of the busiest holiday weekends of the year.
“As Mayo County Council road safety officer, I am appealing to all road users - motorists, pedestrians, cyclists and e-scooter users - to always put safety first when using our roads. With increased traffic, particularly in tourist hot-spots, and with many people using unfamiliar roads to them, everyone needs to be aware of the risks around them, as it only takes one second for something terrible to happen.”
Patricia Flynn, water safety officer with Mayo County Council, added: “The August bank holiday weekend is one of the busiest weekends on our beaches and waterways every year. Mayo County Council is fortunate to have 12 Blue Flag beaches and eight that have Green Coast Awards, that will see thousands of visitors flock to them this weekend and over the rest of the summer months.
“While we have lifeguards on duty, we also want to remind the public that they must play their part when it comes to water safety and to do everything they can to ensure that they and in particular young children safely enjoy using our wonderful beaches. Remember to leave the inflatable toys at home - they are not suitable or safe in open water.
“Last year, our lifeguards performed 11 rescues, 309 first aids, prevented 428 accidents and provided verbal assistance to 8,024 people at our 10 designated bathing areas.”
The chief fire officer with Mayo County Council, Tony Shevlin, also reminded the public that the upcoming bank holiday weekend can be a very busy time for the fire service in the county, saying: “The fire services respond to different types of incidents all the time. At this time of year that can include barbecue or domestic fires and road traffic collisions.
“If you are planning to have a barbecue this weekend, to lessen the risk of injuries or damage to property, never barbecue on a balcony and ensure the barbecue is on a flat site, well away from your house/apartment, trees or shrubs. You should never leave the barbecue unattended and always keep a bucket of water or sand nearby for emergencies.
“At recreational areas or other amenities, you should park responsibly and not to block access routes for the emergency services. Please do not light fires in or near our forests.”
Head of roads policing for An Garda Síochána in Mayo, Inspector David Tiernan, echoed the calls of the other emergency services, saying: “With increased traffic on our roads over the weekend we are calling on every road user to take care and use caution when driving this weekend. I’d like to remind everyone to drive within the speed limits, don’t use a mobile phone while driving and to never every drink or drug drive.”