Ross pledges car safety ‘crusade’

THE year just gone saw a 4% drop in road deaths, making it the safest year on our roads since records began in the year 1959. However, as many as 149 people still lost their lives, in 142 fatal collisions, and Transport Minister Shane Ross said he intends to intensify what he called his ‘crusade to improve road safety’ in the coming months.

Of of the 149 who died, 63 were drivers, 21 were passengers, 15 were motorcyclists, nine were cyclists and 41 were pedestrians.

The official figures from the Road Safety Authority show a 4% drop from the previous year, when 141 fatal crashes led to 156 deaths on the roads.

Despite the improvement in road safety conditions, Minister Ross said the figures are not good enough.

‘Drink driving persists and unaccompanied learner drivers continue to break the law,’ he said. ‘Reckless road users cannot be allowed to ruin the lives of innocent others and their families. In 2019 the crusade to improve road safety and save lives will accelerate.’

The chairwoman of the RSA, Liz O’Donnell, said that if drivers comply with the new road provisions, introduced in 2018, it will result in fewer lives being lost.

‘Garda Roads Policing numbers increased in 2018, and there is a commitment from An Garda Síochána to further increase numbers in 2019 to meet original targets,’ she said.

‘This will mean that those who don’t comply with these new provisions and other road traffic laws can expect to be detected and face the consequences of their actions.’

Ms O’Donnell also called for the rollout of smartphone and in-vehicle technology to advance checkpoints.

‘This technology facilitates the identification of a range of offences at the roadside, in particular disqualified drivers, unaccompanied learner drivers and those driving uninsured.’

In 2016, 186 people died in collisions, while 162 were killed in 2015.