Ireland has to 'change the narrative' if it is to reach zero road deaths by 2050

The Government’s Road Safety Strategy 2021-2030 was a major initiative aimed at reducing the number of deaths and serious injuries on Irish roads by 50% by 2030. The loftier ambition is to reduce that to none by 2050. 

Sam Waide (left), CEO of the Road Safety Authority and Sue O’Neill, CEO of the Irish Tyre Industry Association. Sam Waide on road deaths in Ireland said this week: “We’re going backwards.” File picture: Robbie Reynolds

The message is clear: Ireland’s roads are more dangerous and more people are dying on them.

The Government has made a target for the number of road deaths to fall drastically by 2030. But that seems remote when we had already reached that target figure within just five months this year.