Dublin road deaths down 70% over the last decade

Dublin has cut its road deaths by 70% over the past ten years, according to an EU study published today.

The massive reduction has propelled the city to the top of a road safety league of European capitals.

Gay Byrne, broadcaster and chairman of the Road Safety Authority (RSA), urged all motorists to help continue the trend.

“The work of Dublin City Council, Dublin Transportation Office, transport providers and the Dublin Metropolitan Traffic Corps in reducing road deaths in their city should be commended,” he added.

The European Transport Safety Council (ETSC) report revealed the number killed on Dublin city’s roads dropped by 70% between 1997 and 2007.

It was the largest reduction out of 27 capital cities across Europe.

The positive trend was backed up by a separate RSA study, also published today, which shows a steady decline in the number of road deaths and serious injuries in the five major Irish cities between 1997 to 2006.

The drop comes despite an increase in population and motor vehicles, according to the RSA.

Road Safety Minister Noel Ahern it was a remarkable achievement.

“It is acknowledged that providing safe mobility to vulnerable road users is a major challenge for any city, which makes this great achievement all the more important,” he said.

The number of people killed or seriously injured came down by between 40% and 80% in Dublin, Cork, Limerick, Waterford and Galway, according to the RSA study.