Road death figures fall to record low of 161

Road death figures have dropped for the seventh year in a row to reach a record low.

Provisional 2012 road casualty figures published yesterday showed 161 people died on Irish roads in the last 12 months — 25 (13%) fewer than in 2011 and down 51 on the previous year.

Of the 161 killed, 78 were drivers, 28 were pedestrians, 27 were passengers, 19 were motorcyclists, eight were cyclists, and there was one listed as “other”.

Road deaths have fallen every year since 2006, when 365 people died on the nation’s roads.

Transport Minister Leo Varadkar welcomed the progress and pointed to the success of the Government’s third Road Safety Strategy 2007 to 2012, which set a target of reducing road deaths to no more than 252 per year by the end of 2012. That target was reached in 2009.

“The ongoing effort to reduce the tragedy of road deaths is working,” said Mr Varadkar.

“Further key road safety measures will be implemented this year, and the new road safety strategy will be published.

“We can never forget those who lost their lives on the roads in 2012, but next year we can take it a step further.”

Road Safety Authority chairman Gay Byrne said a person was dying on the roads every day before the strategy was launched.

“Six years later and this has dropped to three lives lost every week,” he said.

“So as a result of your actions, the road-using public, you are preventing four deaths every week now compared to 2006.

“While one death is one too many, this is an extraordinary achievement and something of which you should all be very proud.”

Meanwhile, the nation’s roads claimed their first victim of the new year yesterday.

Packie Gildea, a 39-year-old single man from Straboy, Glenties, Co Donegal, died after the 4x4 he was driving hit a large concrete pillar at Dooish, outside Ballybofey on the road leading to Glenties at about 8.50am.

Mr Gildea, a farmer, was taken by ambulance to Letterkenny General Hospital where he was pronounced dead a short while later.

And the young woman who died on New Year’s Eve from injuries sustained in a crash two days earlier will be buried tomorrow.

Amanda O’Flaherty, 26, from Cobh, Co Cork, suffered severe injuries when her car struck a 4x4 at Cow Cross, Cobh, last Saturday.

High toll

*30% of road death victims were under 25 years of age.

*41% of deaths occurred on Saturday and Sunday.

*The hours from 4pm to 6pm were most dangerous, with 31 deaths (19%).

*The average monthly fatality rate in 2012 was 13, compared to 16 in 2011, and 18 in 2010.

*The safest month of the year was November when eight deaths occurred.

*108, or 67%, of those killed on the roads were male.