Latest news with #Canney
Agriland
7 days ago
- Agriland
RSA issues warning to drivers ahead of bank holiday weekend
Ahead of the June Bank Holiday weekend, the Road Safety Authority (RSA), An Garda Síochána, and Minister of State with responsibility for International and Road Transport, Logistics, Rail, and Ports at the Department of Transport, Séan Canney, are urging all road users to never drive under the influence of alcohol. The appeal comes as RSA analysis has found that over one third of driver fatalities with a toxicology result available during the years 2016–2020 tested positive for alcohol. The analysis shows a stark contrast between off-peak and peak hours. During off-peak hours (10:00p.m–5:59a.m), 70% of driver fatalities with a toxicology result available had a positive toxicology for alcohol, compared to 21% during peak times. Minister Canney said: 'These figures are deeply concerning. They show a consistent pattern of people taking deadly risks by driving under the influence, especially at night. 'My message this weekend is simple – never, ever drink and drive. It's not worth the risk to your life or anyone else's. I urge everyone to act responsibly and make safe choices on our roads.' Director of partnerships and external affairs at the RSA, Sarah O'Connor echoed the call: 'These statistics highlight the importance of targeted enforcement during off-peak hours to detect and remove intoxicated drivers from our roads. 'Combining this with education and awareness initiatives that focus on the dangers of drink-driving – especially late at night – is critical to saving lives.' Chief superintendent David Harrington of the Garda National Roads Policing Bureau said: 'Driving under the influence of an intoxicant, whether alcohol or drugs, is illegal and not only impairs your driving performance but removes your capacity to drive safely. 'Some people may take the risk of driving under influence because they believe they won't encounter gardaí on the road to detect them, but the reality is that we are on the roads conducting checkpoints and are called to the scene of every one of the fatal or serious injury collisions caused by a driver that has been drinking. 'You can avoid putting your life and the lives of others at such high risk if you heed our advice to not consume alcohol or drugs if you know you are getting into a car to drive,' the garda chief added. RSA appeal The RSA appeal coincides with the upcoming launch of a new RSA advertising campaign that addresses social acceptability of drink-driving. The TV-led campaign will go live on June 11, and calls on the public to protect their friends, and other road users, by ensuring their friends don't get behind the wheel after drinking. The RSA is also reminding the public that the summertime period typically sees an increase in cyclist and motorcyclist casualties. Road users are encouraged to slow down, expect the unexpected, and be especially mindful of vulnerable road users. With large crowds expected to travel to events like Bloom in Phoenix Park, Dublin, and BikeFest in Killarney over the Bank Holiday Weekend, drivers are reminded to stay alert, avoid distractions, and share the road responsibly. To help fight driver fatigue, the RSA, in partnership with Applegreen, will also be offering free coffee to drivers at participating service stations from 2:00p.m to 8:00p.m on Friday, May 30 and Monday, June 2. Motorists simply need to mention 'RSA' at the till to avail of the offer.
Irish Examiner
26-05-2025
- Irish Examiner
'Nothing off the table' to improve safety following weekend deaths, says road transport minister
There is 'nothing off the table' to improve road safety, the road transport minister has said, as a bleak weekend saw four women died in separate accidents in Ireland in 24 hours. Two pedestrians, a driver, and a cyclist died on Saturday in another stark weekend for road safety. A pedestrian aged in her late 20s died following a crash in Co Wexford on Saturday around 3pm. In Co Meath, a woman aged in her 60s was killed in a crash on Saturday. The woman, a pedestrian, died following the crash involving a car that occurred at approximately 7.10pm in Ashbourne. Elsewhere, in Co Clare, a woman aged in her 70s died in a collision involving a bike and a tractor. The incident occurred at Toonagh, Tulla, at around 12.45pm. Meanwhile, a Donegal woman was killed following a two-vehicle collision outside Omagh on Saturday. Gardaí said investigations are ongoing and no cause has been given for any of the fatal accidents as of yet. Seán Canney, the super junior minister responsible for road transport, said he planned to meet with the Road Safety Authority (RSA) in the coming weeks to discuss measures to improve safety. Education While not referring to the specific incidents of the weekend, Mr Canney spoke in general terms that improving education of drivers was key to reducing injuries and deaths on Irish roads. 'I think we have to put a dose of reality back into everybody. Our roads can be dangerous if we are distracted, if we have drink-driving, if we have drug-driving, driving at speed." Mr Canney said there was 'nothing off the table' to deal with increased road deaths. On increasing the number of gardaí attached to roads policing units, Mr Canney said he would welcome further resources. However, he highlighted new laws would make it easier for gardaí to deal with offenders. He added that new average speed cameras were being rolled out to assist in dealing with speeding. 'At the end of the day, the object of the exercise is to slow people down, not to catch them,' Mr Canney said. I think that's the message as well: Slow down, you won't be caught, take it easy, get there safely Safety campaigners repeated calls for a 'radical' change to how children and teenagers are educated around road safety. 'Human error' Olivia Keating, who has been campaigning since she suffered severe injuries when she was knocked off her bike and left for dead on the N71 near Bandon in 2016, said: 'More than 90% of incidents on our roads are not accidents. 'Yes, freak accidents do occur. But in an overwhelming majority of cases, it is down to human error with someone not paying attention, or travelling too fast to react to a sudden situation," she said. 'We don't just need to educate kids, but we also need to educate adults." Elber Twomey, whose husband Connie, 16-month-old son Oisín, and unborn daughter Elber Marie were killed when a suicidal driver rammed their car in 2012, said: "For there to be anything near the zero deaths targets set by Europe on our roads, there needs to be a radical overhaul of the way we teach our children about road safety."
Yahoo
21-05-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Mass. man struck and killed by Commuter Rail train remembered as ‘dear and humble'
A Cohasset man who was struck and killed by an MBTA Commuter Rail train earlier this month is being remembered for always putting his family before himself. On May 3, 78-year-old John Canney was driving a pickup truck over the Beechwood Street railroad crossing in Cohasset around 11:20 a.m. when the truck was hit by the train, the Norfolk County District Attorney's Office said previously. He was declared dead at the scene, and his truck was declared a total loss. John Frederick Canney was born in Davenport, Iowa, to John and Marjorie Canney, according to his obituary. The couple raised him in Needham, Massachusetts, and he went on to graduate from UMass Amherst with a degree in German Literature. After college, Canney was introduced to the finance world through a job working on Wall Street in New York City, according to his obituary. He went on to found a Boston-based municipal advisory group. Read more: Man killed in Cohasset MBTA train strike identified Canney was an avid reader and considered the Mathematics Dictionary light reading, according to his obituary. He was also member of the Cohasset Yacht Club and had a passion for sailing. 'Always the patient, steady, and capable captain, he loved sailing his Atlantic City Catboat, Annie S.,' his obituary reads. More recently, Canney rediscovered his love of painting, according to his obituary. He could often be found working on a thumbnail print. Canney was married to his wife, Barbara Canney, for 42 years, and he leaves her and his son, Garrett Canney, behind, according to his obituary. He is described as 'a devoted husband and father who always put his family before himself.' 'John was a dear and humble man of greatness, and the world is diminished by his loss,' his obituary reads. A memorial service for Canney is scheduled for Sunday, May 25, at 2 p.m. at St. Anthony of Padua Church in Cohasset, according to his obituary. A celebration of his life is set to follow immediately afterward at the Lightkeeper's Cottage in Cohasset. In lieu of flowers, Canney's family asks that people honor his memory by donating to a local non-profit of your choice, according to his obituary. Mega Millions numbers: Are you the lucky winner of Tuesday's $139 million jackpot? Closing hotel shelters has benefits but could leave families with no place to go The Password, Jhostynxon Garcia, cracks three-run homer in Triple-A debut Georgia woman gets decade in prison for smuggling 12 lbs. of meth to Mass. Mass. lawyer to plead guilty to embezzling millions from relatives, business associate Read the original article on MassLive.
RTÉ News
14-05-2025
- Politics
- RTÉ News
Minister says driving test wait times won't exceed 10 weeks by autumn
A Government minister has insisted driving test waiting times will not exceed 10 weeks by this autumn, amid opposition criticism some people are waiting up to 43 weeks to undergo the tests. Minister of State at the Department of Transport and Independent TD Seán Canney gave the new commitment in the Dáil, saying the current situation is unacceptable and must be addressed. However, he faced a backlash from TDs, who claimed it is easier to become an astronaut than to get a test time in some areas, that some people are travelling to other countries to undergo tests sooner, and calls for fees to be refunded if waiting times exceed planned new targets. Speaking during a Dáil debate on the issue, Minister Canney said the average waiting time for driving tests is now 27 weeks, a figure he said has risen significantly in part due to a "backlog of tests" during the Covid-19 pandemic, inward migration and a rising population. Minister Canney said the Road Safety Authority (RSA) has now told him that it plans to reduce waiting times to 10 weeks by September, and that in order to reach this target he will seek a regular update every two weeks over the coming months. He also said the RSA has been sanctioned to recruit up to 200 more driving test examiners, a figure he said is double that of two years ago, and gave assurances this will take place "without compromising standards". However, his comments were criticised by opposition TDs, who said similar promises have been made and broken by Government over the past three years and that more than 83,000 people are currently waiting for driving tests. Government 'out of touch' Sinn Féin's Louis O'Hara, said it is "incredibly disappointing to see the situation has worsened since we raised it in February", claiming: "Government is out of touch with that reality." Labour TD Ciaran Ahern said in his own constituency of Tallaght the waiting time for driving tests is up to 43 weeks. A backlog he said is impacting people's lives, with party colleague Eoghan Kenny later giving an example of a man who cannot begin a job as a paramedic because of the delays. After Social Democrats TD Jennifer Whitmore warned the process is taking "a very long time", party colleague Padraig Rice said "apparently it's easier to be an astronaut than to get a driving licence in Cork". He called for extended test times during the day and potentially "overtime on Sundays", in addition to suggesting people should "get a refund if they are waiting longer" than the longest waiting times set out by the Department of Transport. Fianna Fáil TD Shane Moynihan also added his voice to the concerns, saying while targets are important to outline, it is crucial they are now delivered on. Deputy Moynihan said he has been told that due to the waiting time delays, some constituents are travelling to Georgia and other countries to take tests sooner there, asking: "Is this the best way?"
The Irish Sun
21-04-2025
- Automotive
- The Irish Sun
All of the changes as motor tax discs scrapped from Irish roads, including introduction of digital license in the EU
AFTER 100 years of using motor tax discs for their cars, drivers will no longer be required to display them due to a new approved legislation. The 2 Irish motor tax discs are set to be scrapped Credit: Wikipedia 2 Irish motorists are set to see various changes soon Credit: Getty Images - Getty The National Vehicle and Driver File Bill is currently going into the drafting stage, which will allow the abolition of the requirement to display a motor Insurance discs will also eventually be scrapped under the new bill. This is due to the nationwide deployment of Automatic Number Plate Recognition technology, which allows the This means that paper discs for READ MORE ON MOTORS And the This means our windscreens may not need to have any discs on display in the future. The new bill also allows local authorities to request, receive and process road-collision data from gardai and the This allows the council to target accident-prone areas with safety measures and infrastructure improvements, aiming to reduce the number of collisions on the road. Most read in Motors The exact date of the changes being implemented is unknown, but Transport Minister Darragh O'Brien revealed that the bill is being prioritised. TEST CHECK I'm an Irish driving instructor and here's exactly what your tester is looking for on the day It is currently going to the office of Parliamentary Counsel for drafting, with timelines dependent on Despite the uncertainty of when the changes will roll out, it is clear that motor tax discs will be the first to go once the bill is passed, with Mr Canney said: "Passage of the bill will contribute to road safety through greater infrastructure investment and enforcement. "Abolishing the requirement to display a paper disc and allowing for open-ended declarations that a car is off the road are among these. "The abolition of paper motor tax-discs in the first instance is part of a wider project to remove the need to display paper discs in windscreens at all." WHAT OTHER CHANGES ARE COMING? There are plans for new digital driving licenses, which are currently underway as the Government is trialling them with a wallet app on your The digital driving license features a built-in electronic signature, replacing the pink, plastic credit card-style license, but people can still opt for it to physically carry as a means of identity. It will be acceptable to the Gardai, providing drivers with a convenient and secure alternative. It comes after the It will be a central registration system component, implying that drivers cannot escape to another state to avoid being prosecuted for traffic violations. Last spring, the EU Commission suggested introducing a digital driving license to streamline the recognition of driving licenses among EU Member States. However, it is unknown when the change from physical to digital cards will occur, as it is still in the works.
