Galway councillor claims RSA messaging amounts to ‘victim blaming’ – ‘Children are not killed because of a lack of high-vis vests’
A Galway councillor has called for a “no confidence” vote and a major overhaul of the Road Safety Authority (RSA), claiming its education campaigns place responsibility on vulnerable road users rather than on driver behaviour.
Social Democrats Councillor Alan Curran tabled a motion at February’s Galway City Council meeting seeking a response from the Transport Minister on default speed zones and the rollout of red-light cameras throughout the city.
The motion also originally asked councillors to declare that the local authority had “no confidence in the RSA”, and to demand that recommendations from the 2024 Indecon report be implemented immediately.
Cllr Curran told the Irish Independent that his “no confidence” wording related to concerns that the RSA’s messaging amounted to “victim blaming”.
Reviews in the Indecon report suggest “radical changes in the responsibilities for aspects of road safety” as well as “significant changes in the funding”.
Cllr Curran said it pointed to the need to separate education from driver training and road safety oversight, as the “focus is completely off”.
“They [the RSA] have a lot of influence, and they have a lot of resources. And what they should be doing is they should be influencing the government in particular.”
He added that without enforcement and clearer limits on driver behaviour, public appeals alone would not reduce deaths.
“One of the things that kills on Irish roads is speeding. That’s something that they should be using their influence with.
“Without enforcement, without technical limitations on the speed that drivers can do, without them calling for 30kmh speed limits in our urban areas, and without them supporting infrastructural developments like separating pedestrians and cyclists from traffic,” Cllr Curran added.
About three to four times a year, particularly around holidays, marketing is pushed by the RSA encouraging drives to slow down.
“It's a pointless exercise trying to appeal to people's good nature to slow down. It goes against human nature.”
As a teacher and parent, Cllr Curran has a front row seat to what he said is concerning messaging aimed at children in education settings.
Education around seatbelt safety begins in first and second class, taught by the Seatbelt Sherriff and his trusted equine partner Hi-Glo Silver, a grey horse wearing reflective gear.
Children can interact with an online, Western themed portal outlining safety precautions from the RSA.
Along with the importance of wearing a seatbelt while driving, Hi-Glo Silver communicates a “very important safety message” to “wear hi-vis clothes when out playing, walking or cycling… to make it easier for motorists to see you.”
But he believes the “obsession” over being seen places responsibility on children instead of drivers.
“Now we're telling children when they're in a playground, when they're playing in their communities, they should be dressed head-to-toe in high vis, just in case a driver can't see them.
“Children are not killed because they're not wearing high-vis vests. Children are killed because people are speeding, they are inattentive, they are drink driving, they're on their mobile phones, or the design of our roads is not appropriate, especially around schools and our communities.”
Cllr Curran said at least three other local authorities had raised similar concerns with the RSA but received what he called a “copy and paste” response.
The Irish Independent reviewed the response given via email to Cllr Curran by RSA CEO Sam Waide, which stated “in light of recent public discourse” the email was intended to “clarify” the role of the RSA in Ireland.
The letter states: “The RSA remains fully committed to supporting the Government’s Road Safety Strategy 2021-2030, which is underpinned by the Safe System Approach.”
“The RSA remains steadfast in its commitment to reducing fatalities and serious injuries on Irish roads along with our key partners. We would welcome the opportunity to meet with Galway City Council to provide a more detailed overview of our work and to discuss how we can strengthen collaboration to deliver safer roads for your communities.”
However, the response did not address the specific concerns raised by Galway City Council.
An amended motion, calling for a re-evaluation of the RSA and immediate progress on the Indecon recommendations instead of “no confidence,” was passed by councillors.
The Irish Independent has contacted the RSA for comment.