News & Press Room
Members Urged to be Neighbourly and Road Safe this Christmas
Macra National President, Kieran O’Dowd, has urged members to be considerate of neighbours during the Christmas holidays, particularly older neighbours or those living in isolated areas.
“Members should be mindful of the elderly and isolated in their communities. Christmas can be a lonely time for some people so I am encouraging members to take the time to call in to neighbours and see if they need anything, it will mean more to them than you could imagine”, he said.
Kieran attended the launch of the Road Safety Authority’s campaign to reduce the incidence of ‘Morning After’ drink driving over Christmas. Drinkaware.ie and the Road Safety Authority are challenging Ireland’s drivers with the question “You’d never ever drink or drive. Or would you?” The message is simple: it takes your body roughly ONE HOUR to get rid of ONE STANDARD DRINK.
That’s one hour for a half a pint, or a small glass of wine or a pub measure of spirits, and two hours for a pint to be eliminated from your body. The secret to sobering up is TIME – no amount of coffee, energy drinks, cold showers or breakfast rolls will speed up the process. You might feel better but it doesn’t mean you are fit to drive.
“Not only does the Christmas period bring challenges for neighbours, drivers need to take more care on the roads in the harsher weather. During the Christmas period, people will be driving longer distances in heavier traffic and challenging road conditions - the message is to arrive safe and take care on the roads.”
“Merry Christmas and a peaceful New Year from all in Macra na Feirme”, he concluded.
