Ireland fails to meet EU road safety targets

IRELAND is still in the top third of EU countries for road deaths, with little or no change over the past year, according to a survey of traffic safety.

The aim to halve the number of fatalities by 2010, compared with what they were in 2000, will be almost impossible for Ireland to meet now, the report warns.

Last year, about 39,200 people were killed on EU roads. But 5,000 of these would still be alive if Europe was meeting its targets to reduce road deaths, according to the European Transport Safety Council.