‘What you do behind the wheel matters’ – Over 1,400 Mayo students attend the AXA Roadsafe Roadshow
Over 1,400 students in Mayo attended the 19th annual AXA Roadsafe Roadshow as new data highlights the heightened risks facing young drivers, particularly for men aged under 25.
The road safety awareness event, based on the theme of “Consequences”, took place on Wednesday, April 15, at the TF Theatre in Castlebar.
Transition year students from across the county came face to face with the real-life impact of dangerous road behaviour.
Figures from AXA show that young male drivers in Mayo are nearly three times more likely to be injured in a road traffic collision than men aged 25 and over.
Nationally, drivers under 25 are 75pc more likely to be injured in a collision than older drivers, while men under 25 are 48pc more likely to be injured than women in the same age group.
Organised by Mayo County Council and AXA Insurance, the roadshow is designed to offer an emotional, hard-hitting experience.
As part of the event, students were presented with a recreation of a night out that ends in tragedy, using powerful first-hand testimonies from first responders, survivors and bereaved families.
Students heard from Hayley Coleman, from Westport, a survivor of a road traffic collision in which she was a passenger, the collision tragically killed her friend.
She was 17 and studying for her Leaving Certificate when the incident occurred in December 2002. She was travelling home after a night out when the car she was in was involved in a collision.
They then heard from Myles O’Brien, also from Westport, who was involved in a motorbike accident in May 2023 that left him with a life-changing spinal injury.
Mr O’Brien, the owner of the Tavern Bar in Murrisk, was paralysed below the neck after losing control of his motorbike in a crash he says was caused by speed and inexperience, leaving him a wheelchair user for life.
Leo Lieghio also addressed the students, recounting the tragic loss of his 16-year-old daughter Marisa, who was killed in 2005 after being struck by a driver while she walked across a pedestrian crossing in Clondalkin.
His daughter was a transition-year student at the time, the same age as many of the students sat in the audience.
All three speakers shared their first-hand accounts with students, illustrating the tragic impact of road traffic incidents on their lives and highlighting the importance of road safety and awareness.
According to An Garda Síochána, nine people were killed, and 23 were seriously injured on Mayo roads in 2025, meaning that for every life lost, almost three others suffered serious, often life-changing injuries.
Mick Comerford, Retail Direct Director with AXA, said that discussions around road safety often do not move beyond fatality figures.
“What we don’t see as easily are the many young people who survive road traffic collisions but face months, years, or even a lifetime living with serious injuries,” he said.
Mr Comerford said that AXA data shows it is young drivers who are particularly at risk, including in County Mayo, and said this is why creating safer habits at a young age is “critical”.
“Our message to students is very clear: what you do behind the wheel matters. Choosing to slow down, ignore your phone, wear your seatbelt and never drive under the influence can be the difference between getting home safely and a life changed in an instant, for you, your friends and everyone who cares about you,” he said.
Road Safety Officer with Mayo County Council, Frances Mitchell, said the event is “hard-hitting and informative” as it aims to change the behaviour of young drivers and get them to “adopt a more responsible attitude” towards their driving.
“Speeding, driving under the influence of drink and or drugs, dangerous driving and distracted driving can have a devastating impact on both the driver and other road users,
“The AXA Roadsafe Roadshow aims to encourage the next generation of young road users to actively think about the importance of road safety and to make the best choice,” Mr Mitchell said.
This article has been funded by the Local Democracy Scene.