Donegal Gardai have issued an appeal to lorry drivers and farmers to wash down their vehicles after use.
It follows an increase in the number of incidents involving dirt left on roads by heavy vehicles.
Donegal’s Roads Inspector Seamus Mc Gonagle from the Milford District attended a quarterly meeting between the Gardaí, Donegal County Council and other relevant bodies recently and as part of the associated ‘Collision Prevention Programme’
The issue of dirty/muddy roads often left behind as a result of farming/construction activity was raised.
As a result local Gardai have issued the following advice.
They wish to remind drivers of agricultural vehicles/construction related vehicles of the following:
• Please wash down all wheels regularly to avoid carrying mud and stones onto the public road.
• Be particularly careful when transporting material such as silage, slurry, sand and gravel so that it does not spill on the road and pose a risk to other road users.
• Do not overload trailers.
A spokesperson said “Drivers of these type of vehicles are responsible for any mess they leave behind on the road.
“We wish to ask drivers of these type of vehicles to always ensure that they have left the road in a safe and clean condition for all other road users.
“Should anybody be involved in any work and it is likely from the outset of the work they have undertaken that the road may be left in a poor state as a result, we advise them to make contact with the roads engineer at Donegal County Council and they may be in a position to assist.
“Please do not leave the roads in a poor and unsafe condition, that’s all we ask.”