Making roads safer

Public campaigns to improve the quality of our lives, to make our day-to-day existence safer, do not always succeed as their promoters would wish.

The Government’s anti-smoking campaign is just one example.

However, when one is as successful as recent campaigns on road safety, then it is important that the achievement be recognised and celebrated.

The number of children dying on our roads has fallen by almost 80% during the last 13 years. In any terms, this is a spectacular turnaround.

From 1997 to 2010, 252 children were killed and 1,059 were seriously injured on Irish roads.

As the new school term approaches, the measures taken to reduce this toll should be renewed, if not intensified.

The Road Safety Authority and Electric Ireland have, for the third year, come together to distribute 85,000 high-visibility safety vests to every child starting school this year. Parents should take advantage of this scheme and try to make our roads safer for everyone.