Proper Road Markings Could Have Prevented Tralee Road Accident

Wednesday morning’s road traffic accident at the entrance to Walsh Colour Print was a traumatic event waiting to happen. While there was no serious injury reported from the scene, for those involved the impact and the trauma of what happened will be life altering.
When they come to terms with the reality of the situation they will realise that their situation, bad and all as it is, could have been unimaginably worse.
Walsh Colour Print founder and managing director, Tony Walsh spoke on Wednesday evening of the daily gauntlet he and his staff members have to run simply to get to and from work.
His premises stands opposite the Tralee Road based Industrial Estate and, by comparison, he has a clear cut cause to complain of discrimination.

Little or No Protection
Mr. Walsh and his staff members have little or no protection as they drive to or from his premises. Their arrival from the Castleisland side is fraught with danger as they have to turn off a lane which also serves as the straight-ahead road to Tralee.
There are no left turn-off road markings here. In theory, it could be argued that because the premises is within the town’s speed limit zone, it should not need them.
However, the theory didn’t hold water on Wednesday morning as the local woman who was dropping her son to work there discovered.
She was attempting to turn off the lane and was struck from behind in doing so.
The fear is that the theory will be tested again and found wanting as the speed limits are rarely observed there and the road lacks a clear indication that an exit / entrance point to a busy, industrial zone lurks ahead.

Cause for Complaint
Tony Walsh’s cause for complaint has been tabled with Kerry County Council on several occasions in recent years and he feels that they haven’t been taken seriously.
He points to his neighbouring, industrial estate occupiers across the road from his premises and he points, in particular, to the road markings which clearly indicate the entrance to their businesses.
“Arriving to or leaving the premises here is highly dangerous and we’re just lucky that nothing as serious as what happened here this morning occurred before,” said Mr. Walsh
“All of us who use the entrance on a daily basis are aware of the dangers but we have so many people calling here every day that would not realise it,” he said.
“All I’m asking for is treatment equal to what the businesses on the other side of the road enjoy as a right. I’m asking for action to be taken again now in light of what happened here this morning and I’m asking before something like this happens again. And the story here today could have been an awful lot worse. A repeat is preventable,” Mr. Walsh concluded.