1. AA Roadwatch – Arwen Foley

2. Roadwatch - About Arwen
Started in AA Roadwatch in 2007
Journalism student
Started Part-Time and worked my way to Editor (April 2014 – Oct 2018)
Started on Newstalk – broadcasts throughout the day but mostly with Seán Moncrieff and George Hook
Moved to 2FM & Lyric FM and then eventually to lead broadcaster on RTE1
Last November I left Roadwatch – remain as spokesperson for AA but am now in charge of the AA’s communications, including social media

3. Roadwatch – The AA
The AA has been in operation in Ireland since October 1910
Based at 12, College Green – 3 objectives:
To take action to improve the dreadful state of the country’s roads
To organise opposition to threats of speed restrictions
To institute a system of warning and directional signs which were almost totally lacking
First system of warning and directional signs in Ireland were installed free of charge by the AA
Irish Free State established in 1922, severing almost all ties with the UK - AA started to issue customs documents for vehicles entering and leaving the country
The AA Salute – AA patrols saluted AA Members to warn them of speed traps ahead
1920s – first patrols on motorbikes (some on bicycles)
1956 – Radio controlled breakdown service
1977 – Entered the insurance market with car & home insurance
Separated from the AA UK in June 2016 – Irish company

4. Roadwatch – About The Traffic Newsroom
AA Roadwatch was born on 4th Sept 1989
Started as the answer to increasingly growing traffic numbers, on RTE1, 2FM & Century Radio
Traffic documented on pieces of paper – mostly handwritten
1st phase of the M50 opened in 1990 (Western Parkway J6-J11)
AA Helicopter ( )
Privately Owned vehicles:
1990 = 796,408
2000 = 1,319,250
2010 = 1,872,715
2018 = 2,106,369
Road Deaths:
1990 = 478
2000 = 415
2010 = 212
2018 = 149

5. Roadwatch – About The Traffic Newsroom
Ireland’s number one traffic and travel information provider for almost 30 years
Team of 12 – 5 full time, 7 part time Researcher/Broadcasters
365 service – only fully-staffed traffic newsroom in Ireland
Roadwatch Newsroom and Routeplanner on theAA.ie using bespoke traffic management system Beo
Broadcast 7 days a week - live broadcasts to 1.5 million people every day on 4 national and 2 regional stations (13 other stations on ‘rip n read’ contract)
Roadwatch information is read out on all of the country’s most-listened to radio shows morning and evening
All Roadwatch information is verified before publication
Work closely with Garda Síochána, fire service and authorities – TII, council, public transport
Make approx. 50 calls before 6:30am on a normal day. Traffic is updated on average every 2 minutes

6. Roadwatch – Website & Social Media
Roadwatch Newsroom &
Roadwatch Routeplanner
Roadwatch pages average
400k hits per month
Twitter
200k followers
39k link clicks during Storm Emma 2018
14k in one day

7. Roadwatch – Weather Warnings & Emergency Situations
Attend Office of Emergency Planning briefings during storms/emergencies in Dept HQ with Met Éireann
Advance warnings carried on our website & social media
During incident, point of contact for council/local authorities on affected routes/areas via , phone.
Constant and consistent contact with Gardaí across the affected counties 
Information provided is carried in live broadcast to millions of members of the public, on website which sees massive spike in traffic during emergency periods

8. Roadwatch – Weather Warnings & Emergency Situations
Ex Hurricane Ophelia Oct 2017
(stats taken - 15th-20th)
200k hits to website
500% increase
10 million Twitter impressions
Engagement up about 1400%
11k link clicks from Twitter to website
Average new followers tripled
Storm Emma Feb/March 2018
“The Beast from The East”
(stats taken - 26th-4th)
400k hits to website
1100% increase
5 million Twitter impressions
151% increase
Engagement up about 700%
39k link clicks from twitter to website
Average new followers doubled
3rd March 2019 – Sudden snowfall & severe impact on motorways
40k hits to website in one day
20 times the traffic on the previous Sunday
Nearly 1 million Twitter impressions
500% increase
Engagement up about 1500%
14k link clicks from twitter to website
Average new followers doubled

9. Roadwatch – About The Traffic Newsroom
Questions?