Road safety campaigners speak out on worrying fatal crash statistics

Road safety campaigners have spoken out about the stark contrast in the number of fatal crashes in neighbouring counties.

So far this year, 120 people have lost their lives on Irish roads. That number is already over 13% higher than the same time last year, when there had been 103 deaths.

These figures mean that Ireland is currently on course to record 200 road deaths in 2024, the first time in almost 15 years. Last month, the number of fatalities was the worst in any July for a decade.

Amid these tragic losses, road safety campaigners have noted that neighbouring counties are continuously experiencing drastic differences in the number of road deaths.

In one instance, Tipperary has recorded an 87% decrease in road deaths so far this year, with two deaths recorded so far this year, compared to 16 fatalities last year. However, in nearby Kildare, the death toll has risen by 100%, doubling the number of fatalities from three last year, to six this year.

Furthermore, Mayo has experienced 14 deaths on its roads so far this year, which is already two more than last year. In contrast, neighbours Galway have had three road deaths this year, a significant drop from 13 fatalities in the entirety of last year.

Speaking about the figures, Parc road safety group founder Susan Gray insisted that more studies need to be carried out on the contrast in neighbouring counties.

“We need a better understanding of why deaths suddenly decline in one county and then increase in another county,” she explained.

“It is clear that we also need to see greater resources for Garda Road Policing Units (RPUs), stricter enforcement of road safety regulations and urgent action to close all loopholes in respect of driving tests and driver education,” she added, describing Ireland’s current number of road traffic accidents as “deeply alarming.”

The chairperson of the Road Safety Authority, Liz O’Donnell, also recently noted: “We cannot continue with this level of carnage on the roads. We’re gone back now, it is the highest in 10 years and we were doing really well internationally. We were the leading lights in road safety.”