Thousands of motorists on a major west of Ireland road will duped by an April Fools’ trick with a difference – lifesize cardboard cut-outs of Garda with a speed gun.
The message in the one-day campaign is: ‘Don’t be fooled – speed kills’.
The initiative has been developed by Mayo County Council’s road safety team, with the support of local gardai.
Noel Gibbons, Mayo’s RSO, said: “The purpose of the cut-out is to let people know the only ones they are fooling when they are speeding are themselves.
”People might feel fooled if they slowed down, only to find out it is a cardboard cut-out. Others might go past it above the speed limit, and feel some relief when it not a real speed check.
“But the point we were trying to get across is that when you speed, you are putting yourself and others at risk. It’s not just about avoiding penalty points for speeding, it’s about driving safer at all times.
“We also want to create a saver environment for other road users such as cyclists and pedestrians to encourage smarter travel.”
Contact Noel Gibbons for more information.
This is another example of the value of enforcement to road safety. A cardboard cut-out! How bad does it get. I could go into a lecture but will resist the temptation and simply ask when are we, Road Safety GB, going to make politicians and Chief Police Officers, do what we pay them to do?
Roy Buchanan, Borough Road Safety Officer, London Borough of Sutton
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