Athy College host invaluable Road Safety Week

ATHY College — with some generous locals — has offered its students an invaluable subject by hosting a first Road Safety Week at the school.

“I thought we might as well have it for a week, because of the number of deaths in the last couple of years. The last two years have been disgraceful,” said principal Richard Daly.

“Barry Keatley from Visual Driving Hub generously leant us a driving simulator where you can learn all sorts of vehicles — from JCBs to forklifts — which he teaches in prisons and agricultural colleges. He very generously gave us one for a week for instruction,” said Mr Daly.

Community Garda Sean O’Mahony, Barry Anderson from the Road Safety Authority, and driving instructor Pamela Hyland were also in attendance.

The first years went with Garda O’Mahony for an instructive walk, how to cross a road properly and the pitfalls of not doing so.

There was also a school cycle for those that bike themselves in, and this saw up to 70 students take part, and there was also a Segway session on school corridors to learn correct lane usage.

The driving simulator was, however, only for the seniors, because “they have to be age appropriate”.

“We know this has to be repeated frequently with teenagers, but we think it got through to them, especially about cycling with helmets. I would like to make this a regular thing, but I don’t know if we’d get the simulator every year!” laughed Mr Daly. 

“Pam Hyland gave a tutorial on basic maintenance, keeping your tyres in check, topping up oil.

“I hope it did get through, so maybe somewhere we might save one life.

“We even had Minister for Agriculture Martin Heydon, and Deputy Mark Wall turn up – and work in tandem!” he said.