Who is the Road Safety Authority, and what is your role as a Charter Ambassador?
As the Charter Ambassador for Ireland since 2021, we act as a link between the European Road Safety Charter and road safety stakeholders in Ireland. We promote the Road Safety Authority’s initiatives through the ERSC website, share Irish best practices at a European level, and support the visibility of the Charter in Ireland.
Our role also includes participating in ERSC awards, National Relay meetings, and webinars, and promoting the Charter through our social media platforms.
Why did you decide to join the European Road Safety Charter?
We joined the Charter to encourage safety commitments, promote awareness campaigns, and support the exchange of good practices across Europe contributing to the shared goal of reducing road deaths.
What are your main focus areas and current projects?
Our current focus is on road safety challenges affecting vulnerable road users, particularly children and young people. We are working on education programmes for these groups and engaging with young people at different touchpoints, including festivals and national events.
Who do you collaborate with?
We work closely with the Irish police force to support local road safety initiatives, such as school visits, community awareness events, and enforcement campaigns.
At European level, we collaborate with the European Transport Safety Council (ETSC). For example, the Road Safety Authority has played a key role in hosting several ETSC-managed study visits under the EU Road Safety Exchange (EURSE), a knowledge-sharing initiative funded by the European Parliament and managed by ETSC on behalf of the European Commission. Topics have included drink and drug driving prevention, driver training, and enforcement and speed strategy.
What advice would you give to organisations working on road safety?
Everything we do is research-led and evidence-based. Make sure you have strong research to support your work, and ensure you are targeting the right audience when developing education programmes and campaigns.