Irish road safety '10 years behind UK'

Ireland is lagging about 10 years behind the UK in terms of road safety, a survey claimed today.

According to the Society of Actuaries in Ireland, some 78 lives could have been saved every year if the drop in road deaths after penalty points were introduced had been maintained.

Experts found there was a significant reduction in the number of people killed in car accidents when the system began in 2002.

But six months later the road death rate began to increase.

So far this year 276 people have died on the country’s roads. In 2002 there were 376 deaths, which fell to 335 the following year. But the figure rose again in 2004, reaching 374, with 2005 one of the worst years with 399 deaths.

According to the report, if the safety successes seen in 2002 and 2003 had been maintained, 255 fewer people would have died since then.

Its report noted, however, that Irish road fatalities have been on a downward trend for many years.

“The downward trend is somewhat masked by the relatively strong growth in population, and very strong growth in car ownership,” the society said. “The number of deaths per car has fallen by almost 70% over the last 25 years.”

But the report warned that the trend had been reversed since 2004.

In 2003 the number of road deaths was at its lowest level for more than 40 years, and this is commonly attributed to the introduction of penalty points in late 2002, the society noted.