Waterford City and County Council staff take part in Road Safety Awareness Training
Waterford City and County Council drivers recently participated in Road Safety training during Irish Road Safety Week which runs from Monday, October 6th to Sunday, October 12th.
Throughout Irish Road Safety Week, a number of events are being held to increase driver awareness to help save lives and prevent serious injuries on our roads.
Over 80 staff members participated in the workshop which was organised and supported by Waterford City and County Council and held at the Park Hotel, Dungarvan. The workshop focused on drivers’ awareness and health, and included insightful presentations from the National Council of Cancer Prevention (NCCCP), ESB Networks and IPB Insurance.
The Road Safety Authority’s (RSA) Roll Over simulator was also on site. Fitted to a hydraulic platform, the unit can simulate a 90 degree and 180-degree roll-over, highlighting the importance of wearing a seatbelt correctly, and the dangers of driver distraction, use of mobile phones, passenger behaviour, fatigue and speed.
Attendees also got to try out the simulated virtual experience through Aviva’s Virtual Reality (VR) headsets which simulated the experience of users as front seat passengers in a serious road accident.
Sean McKeown, Chief Executive of Waterford City and County Council said, “Today’s workshop undoubtedly has the potential to make our roads safer, not only for our staff, but for everyone who uses them.
“Driver safety and awareness are absolutely paramount if we are to meet the ambitious goals of ‘Vision Zero’ of no fatalities or serious injuries on our roads by 2050. Achieving this vision will take collective effort, and today’s workshop is a step in the right direction.
“The presentations from ESB, NCCCP, and IPB were both practical and insightful, offering real-world scenarios and strategies that we can take away and apply immediately. In particular, the RSA rollover simulator was a powerful reminder of the life-saving importance of wearing seatbelts correctly. Seeing and experiencing that level of impact really drives home a message that statistics alone can’t convey.”
