Possible Introduction Of Road Safety Lessons For Leaving Cert Students On the Cards

Road safety lessons could be on the cards for Leaving Cert students, with Education Minister Norma Foley writing a letter to the Road Safety Authority last week.

The minister wrote this letter, in the wake of the recent tragic deaths of young people on Irish roads over recent weeks. 

Such tragedies have seen four young people die in Clonmel, Co Tipperary on their way to celebrate Leaving Cert results, with two teenagers also dying on the roads of Co Monaghan on the night of their school's Debs in July. 

Ms Foley submitted this letter to the RSA chairman Sam Waide, in order to seek avenues to improve road safety education with schools, especially during the senior cycle. 

“There has been a significant and saddening increase in fatalities on Irish roads in the past year, many of which have tragically involved children and young people", the Minister for Education wrote. “This worrying trend must be curbed, and I believe awareness raising has a very significant role to play in this regard". 

Norma Foley has asked the authority to look for ways to raise awareness in schools.

According to the TD, there was scope for further improvements of road safety awareness in transition year. She has called on the RSA to have their say on the school's consultation on the redevelopment of transition year.

This consultation process over a proposed redeveloped transition year is also under the subject of a public consultation, with plans to redevelop the Leaving Cert program is also in the pipeline.

As things stand, the RSA's outreach team visits schools to promote safe road behaviour among young people, as well as cycling, walking, or travelling by car or bus.