Appeal to motorists after 11 accidents reported over the weekend

An Athlone officer has appealed to motorists to be “extra careful” on the roads amid a notable rise in accidents over the weekend.

While the eleven accidents reported to Gardaí were thankfully minor in nature with no injuries, Sgt Andrew Haran commented that it was much higher than a usual weekend.

Attributing part of the rise to changes in winter weather, he appealed to drivers to be aware of low sun and changing road conditions and to be “extra careful” driving locally in the run-up to Christmas.

Slippy stretches following rain or frost, low sun, or leaves and material on the road can all change the surface very quickly, he said, adding that the darker evenings can also play a part. He appealed to drivers to be extra vigilant on their journeys.

Meanwhile, on Friday last, a tractor lost a load of silage bales, a short distance from the Birr turn on the Ballinahown side of the N62 road.

It happened around 10.50am when a tractor and trailer met a truck, the latter pulling in according to Sgt Haran to let the tractor pass by, however, the tractor appears to have hit soft ground and fell into the dip and slipped into the field. Luckily, no one was injured.

Gardaí and council staff attended the scene and barriers were erected along the side of the stretch after the site was cleared.