Cork-Limerick road's high fatality rate highlighted 

There are 625 access points along the route, made of homes, farm/field entrances, and junctions, which are a major contributor to the safety issues. Picture: Denis Minihane

The proportion of fatal collisions to all personal injury collisions on the N20 is four times higher than the national average, according to the body behind plans for the Cork-Limerick motorway.

The N/M20 Project office's research also shows drivers are more likely to be involved in a personal injury collision on the N20 road between Cork and Limerick than on other national roads in the country.

It has examined collision statistics for the 2016-2018 period and found a high proportion of fatal collisions to all personal injury collisions on the N20.

At 8%, this proportion is four times higher than the national average of 2%.

625 access points

It said there are 625 access points along the route, made up of homes, farm/field entrances, and junctions, which are a major contributor to the safety issues.

There were 87 personal injury collisions along the entire N20 route between 2016 and 2018, of which seven were fatal (8%). A further 13 resulted in serious injury (15%), and the remaining 67 resulted in minor injury (77%).

A high percentage of collisions (63%) occurred along rural sections of the N20, which is significantly different from the national average (39%).

According to a statement from the N/M20 project, the trend of high numbers of fatal collisions on the N20 seems to be continuing, and possibly increasing.

Based on provisional data received from Transport Infrastructure Ireland (TII), there were three fatal collisions on the N20 in 2019 and four in 2020.

This is higher than the average of 2.33 fatal collisions per year in the period from 2016 to 2018.

“The detailed analysis of collision data forms part of the appraisal of options for the Cork to Limerick project, which is currently under way, and is the clearest indicator yet of the scale of road safety problems that exist on the N20,” a spokesperson for the project said in a statement.

The project is currently at phase 2 of development, which will see a preferred route option selected.

It aims to address road safety issues by reducing the rate and severity of collisions on the road network, in particular the existing N20.