Authority worried about rise in road fatalities

There has been a startling increase in the number of road fatalities over the last two months.

At 34, the death toll is up 11 on the same period last year.

The Road Safety Authority is worried about the increase and hopes the figures remind people to keep themselves and others safe when out on the roads.

“Of course we are concerned because 11 more people have died on the roads compared to last year,” said RSA communications manager Brian Farrell.

“Every fatal accident on our roads is tragic and devastating for the families and loved ones left behind.

“We are hoping the deaths will serve as a reminder to us all that we cannot afford to be complacent and to realise just how vulnerable we are on the roads.”

Mr Farrell said it was still possible to make 2013 a safer year on the roads than 2012 when there were 162 road fatalities — 24 fewer than the previous year.

He said it was very hard to identify any of the factors behind the increase in fatalities over the past two months.

“In June last year there were 25 fatalities on the roads and it gave us real cause for concern because it was nearly double the number of fatalities during the same month in 2011. We went on then to reduce the number of fatalities for the year to the lowest number since records began,” he said.

“It is still possible for us to save more lives than we did last year and that should be everyone’s objective.”

Road deaths in Ireland have fallen every year since 2006 and the RSA’s soon-to-be-published road safety strategy, which will span from 2013 to 2020, is aimed at reducing the number of serious road injuries.

The previous road safety strategy, which covered the period 2007-12, aimed to cut road deaths to 252 per annum by the end of last year, a target that was achieved three years ahead of schedule, in 2009.

While the total number of serious injuries sustained in crashes last year is not yet available, there was a 51% reduction in these injuries up to the end of 2011.