White Christmas leaves roads picturesque but treacherous
Saturday December 26 2009
AREAS of the country woke up to a white Christmas yesterday as sub-zero temperatures covered whole regions in a picture-postcard blanket of snow and ice.
However, the severe ice and freezing fog made driving conditions treacherous, particularly on secondary and local roads.
Three men were killed in separate accidents in counties Mayo, Waterford and Kerry on Christmas Eve.
In Co Mayo, a man in his late 50s died in a single-vehicle crash near Louisburgh.
In Waterford a man believed to be in his late 30s was killed when a truck collided with a car on the N25. Both crashes are being investigated by gardai.
Elsewhere, a man in his 70s has died in a collision at Ardfert in Co Kerry. The man was leaving a shop in the village just after three o'clock when he was involved in a collision with a truck. He died at the scene.
The scene was sealed off and a technical examination is being conducted by garda forensic road crash investigators.
Tragic
Gardai are treating the man's death as a tragic accident. The latest deaths bring to 239 the number people who have died on our roads this year. While almost all of the country's main roads have been gritted, drivers were urged to drive cautiously.
AA Roadwatch again warned motorists to take extra care on the roads over the coming days.
"Bear in mind that your braking distance is 10 times greater than normal when driving in ice, so keep a good distance from vehicles in front of you," a spokeswoman said.
Gardai advised motorists in Galway not to travel while certain roads in Tipperary were also impassable. Roads around Navan, Co Meath were also treacherous.
Today will see temperatures rise to between 4 and 7 degrees, with a possibility of sunshine in parts of Leinster and Munster. Ulster and Connacht can expect rain and sleet showers, but no snow. After St Stephen's Day, temperatures are expected to fall again for the following few days.
Age Action Ireland urged people to check in on elderly neighbours who are particularly vulnerable during the cold snap.
"People should keep the temperature in the rooms they're living in between 16 and 18 degrees. If it falls below 12 degrees you're in the danger zone because the blood begins to thicken and it can result in heart attack or stroke," spokesman Eamon Timmins said. Meanwhile, a senior consultant in emergency medicine has urged pedestrians to exercise caution.
He was speaking as hospital A&E units across the country were inundated with members of the public presenting with fractures and breaks after slipping on ice. Prof Stephen Cusack, who heads up Cork University Hospital's emergency department, urged members of the public to be aware of the need to tread carefully, especially on pavements, driveways and garden paths.
"We have had over fifty-five people admitted with orthopaedic injuries following slips on the ice," he said.
"This is roughly the equivalent of two weeks of regular trauma work in this hospital,"he said.
Number killed on roads lowest since records began
- Shane Doran
Irish Independent
