Safety steps urged at 'death trap' crossing on city road

BY FRANK FARRAGHER

THE pedestrian crossing on the Headford Road at Dunnes Stores – where a woman was seriously injured last week – will continue to be a ‘death trap’ unless traffic calming and warning signs are put in place, it has been warned.

The woman in her 40s knocked down by the car shortly before 2pm on Tuesday last, is recovering at UHG this week, following the hit-and-run accident at the pedestrian crossing traffic lights which left her in a ‘serious’ condition.

In February of last year, a 30-year-old hotel receptionist was killed while crossing at the same junction when struck by a passing lorry – in the subsequent court case, the lorry driver said that he never knew the traffic lights were there and saw no warning signage for them.

This week the Sentinel contacted a number of students residing in the student accommodation complex, across from Dunnes Stores and all of them recalled ‘near things’ when legally crossing at those lights.“For whatever the reason, some cars just don’t seem to be aware of this pedestrian junction until it is too late. It seems to be especially bad on the outward lane as cars tend to speed up leaving town,” one student said.

This week the Mayor of Galway, Cllr. Michael Crowe, told the Sentinel that he would be seeking a meeting with Director of Services, Ciarán Hayes, in relation to problems at this junction.

“There certainly seems to be a problem with some motorists not being aware of the junction and not stopping when the lights go red at this crossing.

“In a situation like this, where pedestrians and cars are involved, the accidents will tend to have very serious consequences for the person on foot,” said Cllr. Crowe.

He added that the matter had to take on an added urgency, given the recent history of serious accident at those lights.

A spokesman for Galway City Council said that it would be ‘premature’ to comment on the accident which occurred there last week, but said that the Gardai, NRA (National Roads Authority) and the City Council would be looking at all aspects of the accident.“There is a 50kmh speed limit in operation along this stretch of road, but we will be sitting down with the Gardai and the NRA to examine the situation in greater detail over the coming weeks,” said the spokesman for the City Council.

Motorists who use that section of roadway frequently have also reported some drivers being ‘caught unawares’ by the traffic lights along a straight stretch of roadway, especially among drivers who didn’t regularly travel along the route.

Following last Tuesday’s accident, Gardai arrested two men and carried out a technical examination of a car, understood to be involved in the collision.

For more, read this week's Connacht Sentinel.