Authorities across Europe are calling on all road users to drive safer to mark European Day Without A Road Death.
Gardai are supporting what is the fourth year of #ProjectEdward, which is taking place across the continent on Thursday.
The initiative from the European Traffic Police Network aims to draw attention to road safety basics and ensure high enforcement from policing authorities all over Europe.
European drivers are being asked to:
- Be aware of others using the road
- Slow down
- Don’t drive if you have been drinking alcohol or taking drugs
- Don’t use your phone while driving, and
- Be particularly mindful of pedestrians, pedal cyclists, motorcyclists and other more vulnerable road users.
Assistant Commissioner David Sheahan, Head of Ireland’s Roads Policing, spoke on Thursday morning, following the tragic deaths of two people in a crash in Co Clare.
He said:- "An Garda Síochána is proud to support this vital road safety initiative.
"Last year was the safest ever on Irish roads, but this year we are seeing an increase in road deaths, so the timing of this Pan European safety initiative is most welcome to focus all our minds on how to make our roads safer.
"The tragic events in Parteen, Co Clare in the early hours of this morning demonstrate that we can never become complacent about road safety and we are all more vulnerable than we think.
"I am urging everyone – on every journey – to take nothing for granted and to make road safety the number one priority.”
