Motorists urged to slow down

Motorists are being strongly urged to slow down. The call came as the second phase of Monaghan County Council’s Road Safety Strategy for the 2026-2030 period was launched last week.

Outlined in a presentation to the Council’s September meeting by Road Safety Officer, Adrian O’Sullivan, the 2026-2027 element of the plan foregrounds a multi-agency approach with a series of actions that “place an emphasis on the shared responsibility amongst those who design, build, manage and use the roads and vehicles to prevent or reduce collision impacts”.

“For this plan to be successful,” stated Council Cathaoirleach Cllr Aidan Campbell (FG), “a co-ordinated approach between the County Council, the Gardaí, Transport Infrastructure Ireland, the Road Safety Authority and other relevant stakeholders is required. By working together, and with the support of the community, and with road users taking responsibility for their own behaviour, we can improve safety on our roads.”

Chief Superintendent Alan McGovern in a foreword to the document promised targeted operations by the Gardaí in County Monaghan focusing on behaviours known to cause the most serious collisions: speeding, dangerous driving, driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs, failure to wear seat belts and driver distraction caused by mobile phone use.

“Addressing these lifesaver offences remains a priority for the Gardaí,” said the Chief Superintendent. “However, enforcement alone cannot make our roads safe. Every journey involves a personal choice, and the decisions made by drivers, cyclists, motorcyclists and pedestrians ultimately determine the safety of our roads.”

Discussing the strategy, councillors urged that measures to curb speeding behaviours get priority in its implementation.

Cllr Sinéad Flynn (SF) described a recent accident on the N54 between Monaghan Town and Clones in which, she said, a vehicle left the road and crashed through a hedge into the garden of a residence where it demolished children’s swings.

“It was maybe fortunate that the incident occurred at 3am,” remarked Cllr Flynn, “otherwise it could have ended in tragedy.”

“We know the areas where speeding is happening,” she added. “Ballybay and Clones are problem areas and need traffic calming measures.”

Cllr Raymond Aughey (FF), chair of the Council’s Strategic Policy Committee on Transport, in proposing the plan’s adoption, said the 45 road fatalities in the county between 2016 and 2025, and the 240 people seriously injured in road traffic accidents in the 2015-2024 period, are stark reminders of how dangerous Monaghan roads are and the impact of collisions on families, with injuries often life-changing in nature.

Mobile phone distraction, speeding and “complete disregard for the laws governing motor vehicles” are areas the council’s strategy needs to target, in Cllr Aughey’s view.

Fine Gael councillor Pauric Clerkin, seconding the adoption of the plan, said educating young people about the risks of speeding, drink and drug driving, and the need to have cars in proper order, are important considerations.

“In my north Monaghan area,” Cllr Clerkin stated, “in areas like Tydavnet, Ballinode and Scotstown, the roads are not safe enough for children to go to school and for people of all ages to cycle. The bad habits are very clear to be seen on a daily basis and there has been a significant increase in drug driving.”

Cllr Niamh McCooey (SF) urged that road safety issues raised at local level be used to compile a “hot spot map” of locations to be prioritised for accident prevention measures. She was glad to see the plan’s focus on addressing speeding issues in the vicinity of rural schools.

Her colleague Cllr Noel Keelan praised the work of the wardens who ensure children get to school safely and called on pedestrians to refrain from mobile phone use when crossing roads. He appealed for progress on upgrading the Ardee-Castleblayney stretch of the N2, branding it “one of the busiest and most dangerous roads on the island”.

“We have problems in Monaghan Town as well as our villages,” pointed out Cllr Seamus Treanor (Ind), calling on gardaí to establish a speed trap in the vicinity of Beech Hill College to address the “unbelievable” speeds of some motorists travelling into the Old Cross Square area of the town, particularly during the “open season” for speeding that seems to him to occur after 7pm.

Cllr Seán Conlon (SF) stated: “We have to take every opportunity to send out the message that the car, lorry and van are not the kings of the road. A shared road ethos must be applied and that can only come with the proper road markings and signage.”

The Road Safety Officer noted that recent changes in GDPR rules now allow the Council access to collision statistics and this data will assist in funding applications for road safety measures. Addressing speeding issues at urban schools in the county is underway at present and rural schools are down the line but part of the plan, Mr O’Sullivan stated.

Acting Director of Transportation Services Nial O’Connor pointed out that the Council is in the process of hiring a dedicated road safety engineer to operate on a countywide basis.