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 It is with regret we report that Gardaí in Co. Tipperary are investigating a fatal road traffic collision, which took place earlier this afternoon on the Limerick Road near Roscrea, in Co Tipperary.
A female in her late 60’s is believed to be the driver of a car which collided with a van at about 3:00pm this afternoon, alas, causing her fatal injuries. Two other passengers, including her husband, understood to be similarly aged, and a man in his 50’s were all airlifted to University Hospital Limerick, suffering with serious injuries, with one victim understood to be in a critical condition.
The car passengers were cut from the wreckage by attending ambulance and emergency services from Nenagh, Birr, and Portloaise, before been airlifted to hospital from the scene, by a Shannon-based Coast Guard Rescue Helicopter and the Athlone-based Air Corps Emergency Aero-medical Service.
At least some of the car occupants involved are believed to hail from the Tallaght area of Co. Dublin. The driver of the van is also injured, but his injuries are understood to be not life threatening.
The N7 road now remains closed, in both directions, between Roscrea and Dunkerrin, and a Garda investigation involving a forensic examination of the crash site is currently under-way.
This recent collision now brings to 4; the number of people who have lost their lives on Tipperary roads since the start of 2016.
Ar dheis Dé go raibh a h-anam dílis.
 New rules, sanctioned by the Department of Transport, for motorists found driving with defective or worn car tyres; come into force today.
While it was already an offence to drive any vehicle with defective or worn tyres, motorists will now in future be fined €80 and receive two penalty points for having bald tyres.
People who end up in court convicted for the same offence will receive an extra two penalty points, (four in total).
The Road Safety Authority (RSA) earlier this month reported that vehicle factors played a role in one in eight fatal collisions between 2008 to 2012, with defective tyres being the most contributing factor. The RSA now advise motorists to have their car tyres checked once a month at their local garage.
The new law has been fast-tracked by ‘squatting’ Fine Gael Transport, Tourism and Sport Minister Mr Paschal Donohoe; after research apparently showed that bald and defective tyres were found partly to blame for a number of road accidents over the past five years.
Imagine the real scenario. A driver is pulled over by Gardai; tyres are checked and found defective; the operating Garda informs the driver of his findings; the driver, in most cases, will be then permitted to drive off happily on to his destination 200 miles away. A fine of €80 eventually issues; the RSA, responsible for the allocation of Penalty Points, are duly notified and in turn notify the driver of the date his/hers points will come into effect. In the intervening period of this scenario and possibly for several months, the same driver, for one reason or another (possibly financially, due to the severity of the fine imposed), ignores the sound warning given by the Garda, in relation to his tyres.
If Transport Minister Mr Paschal Donohoe had even the slightest interest in improving safety and reducing road traffic incidents, Gardai would have the power to escort the offending driver and his vehicle to the nearest garage and once parked on their forecourt, to confiscate the keys, returnable only when an invoice for new tyres is produced at the relevant Garda station, previously prearranged by the said member of the Garda force.
This new sanction by the Department of Transport for motorists is actually yet another Fine Gael tax gathering scheme, introduced by our ‘squatting’ government to boost its coffers and will have no affect whatsoever in supporting road safety.
It is interesting to note that already the government makes over €1 billion annually on motor taxation and the AA estimates that 91c of the amount paid on one litre of petrol is tax, meaning that the price of the actual fuel only accounts for a small proportion of the total overall cost. In the case of diesel, government taxation accounts for 77c of each litre purchased by the consumer.
We won’t go down the road (pardon the pun) of 30% increases in Motor Insurance, costs associated with National Car Testing (NCT) and nightly damages to vehicles through deliberate and malicious damage.
 A 25-year-old motorcyclist has tragically died, following a crash on the R689 in Co Tipperary.
It is understood the incident happened when the cyclist collided with a sign on the Fennor to Urlingford road around 8.45pm last night.
The victim was pronounced dead at the scene and his body was immediately removed to St Luke’s General Hospital in Co. Kilkenny, where a post mortem examination will be carried out later today.
The roadway at the scene this morning remained closed to facilitate a daylight forensic examination.
Those with any information regarding this tragic accident are asked to contact Thurles Garda Station on Tel: (0504) 25100), the Garda Confidential Line Tel: 1800-666-111 or indeed any Garda station.
Sadly last night’s fatal collision now brings to 5 persons; being the total number of people that have lost their lives due to road accidents on Tipperary’s roads so far this year. Statistically same number surpasses the total figure for all similar deaths during the complete 12 months of last year.
Ar dheis Dé go raibh a anam dílis.
Independent TD Michael Lowry, has requested that all Tipperary’s newly elected TD’s unite to ensure that necessary future funding for rural roads be made an immediate priority for the 32nd Dáil.
Deputy Lowry has stated, “The Rural Road Network throughout county Tipperary is crumbling. The principle factor is the lack of investment and continuous decrease in monies made available to local County Councils. The National Roads Fund decreased from €608 million in 2008 to a current figure of €294 million. In 2011 both North and South Tipperary got a total of €45 million for roads. In 2015 this had fallen to €28 million, with a further €3 million of reductions this year.
This decrease in funding has had a huge negative impact on rural communities, with many of our roads becoming extremely hazardous. Daily struggles are arising for rural school buses, and other essential service providers. In many cases these erosive conditions are creating obstacle courses which are bordering on the impassable. Drivers find themselves in dangerous situations where they are forced to drive erratically to avoid deepening potholes. Each day my office receives countless complaints from vehicle owners, where their vehicles are being damaged, tyres have been ripped off and issues are arising with steering and suspension, brought about by potholes which rapidly merge to form giant craters.
The people of Tipperary are extremely frustrated with this outgoing government and justifiably point out that as citizen’s they pay heavy car taxes, numerous charges and levies, yet the horrendous state of rural roads tolerated on a day-to-day basis in Tipperary would never be permitted to exist in our capital city. It is evident that this current administration continues to cultivate a two track society; one which offers fast urban centres, while rural Ireland is permitted to remain abandoned.
I have spoken to the CEO of Tipperary County Council, requesting that an inventory of all roads, which need repair and replacement works right across the county, be immediately established and should include reasonable estimates for all repairs and refurbishments.
I will work alongside my elected colleagues, in seeking the appropriate funding for this crisis, while exerting my influence on the introduction of a proper roads network program into the future. I have also requested that the management of the council ensure that they get satisfactory value and return for all money spent, while all future work practices remain up to a recognised standard, using quality material and ensuring proper road drainage is put in place.
The total neglect of our rural roads now requires urgent attention and the present scenario of drastically reduced infrastructural funding must be immediately reversed,” concluded Deputy Lowry.
 A man, understood to be in his 40’s, has died following a single vehicle collision on the M8, Cork/Dublin motorway between Cashel and Horse & Jockey.
The accident happened shortly after 6:00pm last evening, leaving a section of the motorway closed for examination by forensic collision investigators this morning.
The accident victim was pronounced dead at the scene by members of the emergency services attending.
This recent accident now brings to three the number of people who have lost their lives on Tipperary roads since the start of this year.
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