DO YOU KNOW A LEADING LIGHT IN ROAD SAFETY?

The Road Safety Authority (RSA) today announced the call for entries to their annual ‘Leading Lights in Road Safety’ Awards. Now in its fifth year, the awards recognise and honour the contribution made by people nationwide to reducing deaths and serious injuries on our roads.

Announcing the call for entries, Mr Gay Byrne, Chairman, Road Safety Authority said:

“Over the past few years, the judging panel and I have had the pleasure of reviewing the entries sent in from all over the country to our annual ‘Leading Lights in Road Safety’ Awards. And every year, we have the same problem – how to pick just one winner. Because the truth is, every entry deserves to be recognised for the efforts made to keep our roads safe.”

“These extraordinary people around the country do this, not for themselves, but for their communities, their students, their colleagues and their friends, so that we all can share the benefits of safer roads. So if you know someone that has made an extraordinary effort to promote road safety, or if you are one of those people, enter this year’s ‘Leading Lights in Road Safety’ Awards so that we can honour the great work that you do.”

Awards will be presented to businesses, educational institutes, media, community groups, and public services who have demonstrated a commitment to keeping the roads free from tragedy. Entries will be accepted in each of the following categories:

§Road Safety Ambassador of the Year

§Road Safety Officer of the Year

§Public Sector (Fire Services, Ambulance Services, Gardaí, Local Authorities)

§Local Media

§National Media

§Education (Primary, Secondary, Third Level and Community)

§Business (SMEs and large employers)

§ADI of the Year (Car, Motorcycle, Bus and Truck)

§CPC Trainer of the Year (new award category)

§CPC Training Organisation of the Year (new award category)

One of the category award winners will be chosen by the panel to receive the Supreme Award. This will be presented to an individual or group that has demonstrated the most innovative and creative initiative to promote safer road use. The winner of the Supreme Award will be announced at the awards ceremony in Farmleigh on Wednesday 12 December 2012.

Last year, Niamh Kearney and Tadgh O’Shea from Coláiste Phobail Bheanntraí received the Overall Supreme Award for their traffic calming initiative to reduce the speed of motorists as they enter and exit Kealkill Village. With the aid of the local Gardaí, they spent two days monitoring the speed of the cars passing through the village – one car was recorded driving at a speed of 104km/h. They presented their project to An Garda Síochána and Cork County Council and were awarded a €15,000 grant by the National Roads Authority (NRA) to purchase three sets of gateway signs for each entrance to the village.

The judging panel for the ‘Leading Lights in Road Safety’ Awards will be announced shortly. Entries to this year’s awards are currently being accepted and the closing date for entries is Friday 16 November at 5pm.

Further information on the criteria for submitting an award, the categories for this year’s awards and how to submit an entry for this year’s ‘Leading Lights in Road Safety’ are available at rsa.ie/leadinglights.

Category: RSA Press Release