Concern at rise in young road crash fatalities

Over half of all fatalities on the roads so far in 2023 were under the age of 35. Picture: Damien Storan.

The deaths of three people in separate road collisions over the weekend have prompted calls for vigilance amid a worrying surge in younger victims.

Some 40 people have now lost their lives on Irish roads so far this year, eight more than in the same period in 2022.

In the early hours of Sunday, a woman in her 20s died in a crash in Kilduff, Limerick shortly after 3.30am.

Her male passenger in his 30s is in serious condition in hospital while a little girl and a toddler boy were also injured.

An hour earlier, a man in his 30s died following a crash in Carlingford, Louth shortly before 2.30am.

On Saturday, a man in his 50s died following a collision in Monaghan.

Head of communications at the Road Safety Authority, Brian Farrell, said over half of all fatalities on the roads so far in 2023 were under the age of 35.

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“For the whole of last year, under 35s accounted for about a third of road deaths so it is trending to a younger profile, unfortunately in fatalities.

“It hasn’t been a good start to the year, it comes off the back of a poor year last year where there was a 14% increase in road deaths,” he said.

Mr Farrell said there has been an increasing pattern in late-night/early-morning and weekend crashes following the reopening of the night time economy.

“Unfortunately, those collisions are also associated with impaired driving whether through alcohol or drugs, driver fatigue, speeding, and non-seatbelt wearing and we do see a younger profile in those types of crashes,” he said.

Mr Farrell urged drivers to be vigilant, particularly in the run-up to busy periods such as St Patrick’s weekend.

“We’ve heard this said by seriously injured survivors of collisions that it just took a split second for something to go wrong.”