Roads claim 141 children in seven years

ROAD traffic accidents claimed the lives of 141 children and left more than 5,700 injured over a seven-year period according to new research.

The majority died while walking on the road or cycling a bicycle.

The research, released by the Road Safety Authority (RSA), shows that despite long-standing education programmes, children are not properly protected.

RSA spokesman Brian Farrell said the age of the children profiled in the study — aged under 14 — meant parents had to take responsibility.

“What we cannot have is a situation where children are responsible for their own safety: that is up to the parents. In terms of serious injuries, the figures show that travelling as a passenger in a car is one of the most dangerous things a child can do on any given day.

“Yet still, four in every 10 parents will not strap their children into the car and six out of 10 will strap them incorrectly,” he said.

The figures showed children are more likely to die if they are injured as pedestrians or cyclists but receive significantly more serious injuries as passengers.

He said the statistics reveal an aspect of safety not given the same coverage as high-speed, late-night and drink-drive crashes.

Ninety-one of the children killed on the roads between 1998 and 2005 were hit by a car.

The RSA said the numbers of pedestrians and cyclists killed highlight the dangers in residential areas when people do not slow down or children are not properly protected.

“We are getting better regarding bicycle helmets and reflectors and we will get there eventually but parents need to do everything they can to ensure their children are safe on the roads,” Mr Farrell said.

Between 2000 and 2005, 57% of children injured were hit in built-up areas. During the same period, one third of those killed were involved in crashes in residential areas.

The research, sponsored by Elverys Sports, was published amid a chorus of appeals for people to slow down over the notoriously dangerous August bank holiday weekend.

Two people were killed on the same weekend last year, three people died in 2005 and in 2000, 12 people were killed in nine separate crashes.

Ambulance drivers said it is one to their busiest weekends of the year and assistant national director of the service, Frank McClintock, said he hopes this weekend will be different.

“We receive an increased volume of call-outs and there is a higher demand for our services.

“As first responders, ambulance personnel are among the first people on the scene to witness the graphic and horrific outcome of road accidents first hand. Careful driving this weekend will save our staff from witnessing such scenes but more importantly save lives,” he said.

This call was echoed by the representatives of the insurance industry.