March 2008 Road Safety Campaign Rolls Out at NUI Galway

NUI Galway is launching a new road safety awareness campaign aimed at over 15,000 students and 1,500 staff at the University. The campaign begins on Thursday, 13 March, led by first-year Engineering students, who will volunteer to wash car headlights and taillights at the University's main entrance. With the support of the Garda Traffic Unit, the students will undertake the cleaning in order to highlight the benefits of such simple but necessary steps in road safety.

Ronan Browne, a class representative for Engineering at NUI Galway, comments, "As Engineering students we are concerned about road safety and the number of people losing lives on a daily basis, in particular young people. Our class discovered that by simply cleaning car lights can have a significant impact on safety, and this one small step will hopefully encourage all on campus to consider what steps they can take for their own safety and the safety of others".

The Galway Fire and Rescue Services will also participate during day, displaying a crash rescue on campus by cutting volunteers out of a car wreck. Fundraising throughout the day by student volunteers will go towards a defibrillator for the Galway Fire and Rescue Service.

Other events happening on the day include the lighting of a memorial candle in the University Chapel in remembrance of NUI Galway staff and students who have lost their lives in road traffic collisions.

The road safety campaign is expected to continue with a series of initiatives and talks on campus about road safety. The campaign is supported by NUI Galway's Community Knowledge Initiative, which helps provide formal and informal opportunities for student to express themselves civically, through activities including volunteering and community based learning initiatives.

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