Roads are not safe enough for children to walk or cycle to school, says Eamon Ryan

Eamon Ryan's remarks come after the 155th death on Irish roads this year, equalling the number of fatalities in the whole of 2022

Politicians called for higher penalty points 'across the board' to improve road safety. Picture: Chris Bellew /Fennell Photography.

Transport Minister Eamon Ryan has conceded that, despite improvements in recent years, Irish roads are not safe for children to walk or cycle to school on. 

“While there have been improvements in recent years, our streets are not safe. They’re not safe for our children to walk and cycle to school. They’re not safe for even experienced cyclists,” Mr Ryan said.

“That has to change as a way of protecting lives and also involving a modal shift towards public transport, towards active travel so that we do have safer roads and more effective roads for everyone, where we’re not in this gridlocked system.”

He made the remark during a Dáil debate that came after the 155th death on Irish roads this year. That bleak milestone means that the same number of people have died in 10 months of this year as in the 12 months of 2022. 

The death of a man in his 50s in Co Sligo on Wednesday night was the latest tragedy, after a collision between a van and an e-scooter.

Road Safety Authority chief executive Sam Waide said: "This year has seen an alarming increase in fatalities and the RSA is urging all road users to work together to keep our roads safe for the remainder of the year, particularly as we enter the winter months, which present additional challenges.”

Higher penalty points

In the Dáil on Thursday, politicians called for higher penalty points to be brought in "across the board" in a bid to improve road safety.

Junior Transport Minister Jack Chambers had previously outlined plans to double penalty points on bank holiday weekends, but some TDs demanded this be extended to cover all periods.

Sinn Féin TD Martin Kenny, the party's transport spokesperson, said Mr Chambers' plan needed to be considered carefully to avoid any “unintended consequences” from the legislation.

He also raised the issue of speeding, saying that some drivers act as if they are at “the Monte Carlo Rally” all the time.

“They speed. They drive erratically. They drive recklessly. We need to have measures to be able to ensure that those people are caught,” Mr Kenny said.

Green Party TD Marc Ó Cathasaigh spoke about how his children were previously almost knocked down by a car.

The last time my children were nearly knocked down, it was while crossing at a signalled pedestrian crossing while the driver accelerated through. 

"This was in broad daylight while they were on their way to school, which is a critical time for vulnerable road users,” Mr Ó Cathasaigh said.

“The fact of the matter is that it does not matter how much high-visibility gear you are wearing; if the driver is not looking, he or she will not see you.

“For a vulnerable road user such as a cyclist, a pedestrian, or a child walking to school, these are not trivial incidents, because we are not encased in a tonne of steel that will protect us from an impact.”