The Road Safety Authority (RSA) and Motorsport Ireland, in association with Killarney & District Motor Club Rally of the Lakes, have issued the message 'Keep the Race in its Place' to rally fans ahead of the Killarney & District Motor Club Cartell.ie International Rally of the Lakes on 4th and 5th May.
High risk groups, particularly young men, are the target for the campaign. The key messages are: watch the Special Stages from safety zones, never enter prohibited areas, stay within the speed limits after the rally and between stages, stay belted-in, and never ever drink and drive.
To help drive the message home the RSA will open its roll-over simulator to the public at the event. Demonstrating the importance of wearing a seatbelt the RSA Roll-Over Car gives people the chance to sit in a car as it is rotated through 360 degrees.
Rally driver and RSA board member Aaron McHale is helping to deliver the campaign's message.
"As a rally driver I am acutely aware of the need for safety," explained McHale, "It is the top priority for all rally drivers and it should be the top priority for all road users. You simply cannot drive on open roads the same way that professional rally drivers do on closed roads with a co-driver warning you of upcoming obstacles and hazards. Ordinary drivers just don't drive under the same strict health and safety requirements and when driving on public roads must obey the rules of the road."