Safety in numbers: Road deaths tally down 28 in year

ONE road death is one too many, but it must come as some comfort that last year there were 21 fewer fatal collisions, and 28 fewer deaths, in Ireland, compared with 2014.

The significant decline reverses an upward trend in road deaths in recent years, with 188 casualties in 2013, and 193 in 2014, and represents the second-lowest number of road deaths since recording began, in 1959.

Considering that there are now more vehicles on the roads than ever before, this is a remarkable achievement and points to the success of the safe-driving campaign by the Road Safety Authority.

More significantly, though, it points to a growing awareness, by motorists and pedestrians, that care must be taken on the roads and that responsible behaviour must be the norm and not the exception.

Ireland is now one of the safest countries in the world for road-users and that is something we can be proud of, without becoming complacent.