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Make it a safe drive in the country
03 October 2007
The government has launched a Think! campaign to highlight the dangers of driving on rural roads.
Drivers are warned to be more cautious and not to drive faster than conditions allow, as you are actually three times more likely to be killed on a rural road than in built up areas.
Road Safety Minister, Jim Fitzpatrick, claims that "the national 60mph speed limit is a maximum, not an expectation and drivers must match their speed to the road characteristics and weather conditions they are experiencing as well as factoring in unpredictable hazards."
The campaign maintains that many drivers mistakenly believe it is okay to drive faster in rural areas because there are less people and traffic around, and this over-confidence is the cause of many accidents.
Statistics show that 356 people died last year on rural roads due to speeding. Causes for the other 931 deaths recorded on rural roads in the same time period are not specified.
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