ELDERLY motorists, lone female drivers or parents with young children who break down on the highways and byways of Laois can expect very little help from passing local motorists.
Results of a recent poll carried out by AA Rescue show that Laois motorists are among the least likely in the country to come to another motorist’s aid if they passed them broken down on the roadside.
The poll specifically honed in on motorists classified as more vulnerable, such as a lone female, a parent travelling with children or an elderly motorist.
In Laois, 52 motorists took part in the poll. When asked, 40.3% said they would stop for a lone female motorist.
Laois drivers come in second last place when it comes to helping stranded parents with children, with only 51.3% of Laois drivers admitting they would stop to help out.
And if you’re an elderly motorist who finds yourself on the side of a road here in Laois, you will definitely be left stranded for hours.
Of the 52 Laois motorists questioned, only 53.7% said they would stop, again ranking second last in the country.
It wasn’t all bad news for Laois drivers, though.
They came in 20th position, from 26, when 19.9% said that they would stop to help a lone male driver.
One sentiment which emerged several times during the AA Rescue poll was that some men simply wouldn’t be comfortable attending a lone female without another woman present, for fear they may be perceived as a threat.
Other respondents indicated that they’d rather play it safe and leave it up to the professionals or gardaí in case foul play was at hand.