Rise in road deaths bucks EU trend

THE number of people killed on Irish roads will increase this year at a time when most other EU states are seeing a sharp drop in road traffic fatalities.

New EU figures on road deaths across Europe show an overall reduction of more than 5% in the numbers killed so far this year.

Despite a series of high-profile road safety campaigns, deaths on Irish roads are currently set to increase by 3%.

The latest garda statistics, which include the death of a teenager killed in a traffic collision near Shercock, Co Cavan early yesterday morning, show the figure has now risen to 338 so far this year compared with 327 by the same date in 2004.

Although the EU report noted that deaths on Irish roads had fallen by 2% in the first nine months of 2005, the figure has risen sharply since then due to a rising number of fatal accidents, including one in which five young Donegal people were killed last month.

The findings will prove disappointing for Transport Minister, Martin Cullen as they mean the Government is moving further away from achieving its Road Safety Strategy of reducing the number of deaths on roads in the Republic to less than 300 by 2006.

In contrast to Ireland, some countries have witnessed dramatic declines in road fatalities this year with Denmark, Spain, Latvia, Austria all recording reductions of more than 10% in the numbers killed.

Britain, which already has one of the best road safety records in Europe, has witnessed a 12% reduction in the number killed and seriously injured.

However, some countries including Estonia, Lithuania, Hungary, Finland and Portugal have seen increases in road deaths ranging from 2% to 4%.

Chairman of the National Safety Council Eddie Shaw has repeatedly pointed out that Ireland still needs to improve implementation of its road safety strategy if it is to achieve the EU target of six road deaths per 100,000 population each year. That equates to an average level of around 240 road fatalities a year.

“Around 140 lives would be saved each year if we could reach that target,” said Mr Shaw who has been one of the Government’s fiercest critics over a lack of resources and “joined-up thinking” on road safety measures.

Nevertheless, the level of deaths among Irish drivers is below the EU average.

There are 89 fatalities per million population each year compared with the EU average of 95.

EU figures also show that fatal accident rates have been falling consistently each year since 1991.

A decade ago, 134 Europeans per one million population were killed in traffic accidents each year. The figure has now fallen to 95.

Statistically, the most dangerous roads in Europe are found in Latvia and Lithuania where drivers are more than four times likely to be fatally injured than in the safest country, The Netherlands. Other countries with high rates of fatal accidents are Greece, Cyprus and Poland.