Ten per cent of accidents involving pedestrians and trucks result in fatalities, according to figures released by the National Safety Council (NSC) yesterday.
The data show there were 3,360 collisions between trucks and pedestrians during 1998-2002, with 10 per cent resulting in fatalities.
When the accident involved an elderly pedestrian, the fatality rate rose to 40 per cent. At least six elderly people died due to crossing too closely to trucks last year.
The figures were released at the launch of a road safety campaign yesterday by the NSC, the Irish Road Haulage Association (IRHA) and the National Council on Ageing and Older People.
The campaign aims to highlight the existence of a blind spot around heavy goods vehicles (HGVs). Its message is: "If you can't see the driver, the driver can't see you."
The organisations are also calling on HGV manufacturers to fit special convex mirrors on all cabs to eliminate blind spots. They are also calling on haulage operators to fit the mirrors on older cabs. IRHA spokesman Mr Jimmy Quinn said children and older people were the most vulnerable - because they did not drive, they were not as aware of the dangers.