The Donegal Road Safety Working Group has once again issued an appeal to candidates contesting the upcoming General Election to be careful where they erect posters.
The group has pleaded with candidates to place the posters in a way that they do not obscure road signs and that they do not interfere with road safety.
Election candidates tend to place their posters in areas such as on roundabouts, speed limit signs, statutory road signs, directional signs, road works signs, STOP or YIELD signs and other crucial areas.
The signage on our roads, whether erected by the TII, Local Authority, the Gardaí or construction and road repair teams, is there to ensure the safety of motorists and all road users, so it is important that no action is taken that either obscures the signage or distracts road users from their content.
Brian O’Donnell, Road Safety Officer states that this can create problems for motorists.
“We understand that candidates need to erect their posters in their opinion, at the best possible locations, but by placing them in certain areas, this can lead to problems for motorists and pedestrians, such as vision impairment, obstruction or distraction, which could lead to a collision.
“In the interest of road safety, we are appealing to candidates to be conscious of where posters are placed and secure them properly. It is the army of volunteers who will be doing most of this work and it is very important for them to remember that operating on the roadside, carries added risk.
“One of the ways you can address this is to park up in a safe location, not to cause any obstruction and wear high visibility clothing.
“Posters should also be secured properly as during storms posters are a safety issue when they become detached and are a danger to pedestrian, cyclists and motorists. We would also urge all candidates to remove posters as soon as possible after polling”.
