Men are more likely to be killed on Irish roads than women, according to figures released by the National Road Authority (NRA) today.
Road accidents led to the deaths of 302 men compared to 104 women last year, the NRA said.
The NRA report, Road Accident Facts 2000, showed 415 people were killed in 362 road accidents last year, an increase from 413 in 1999. The estimated cost of road accidents last year was £600 million.
The NRA figures showed the number of car users killed on Irish roads increased from 236 to 260 in 2000 - 63 per cent of total road deaths in 2000.
However deaths among pedestrians, motorcyclists and bicycles fell. Last year saw the lowest figure for pedestrians fatalities in 40 years.
The number of serious injuries also fell from 1,867 people in 1999 to 1,640 in 2000. Overall 12,043 people were injured in road accidents in 2000 compared to 12,340 in 1999.
The report also showed:
- 189 male and 38 female drivers were killed. 55 drivers aged between 18 and 24 died of which 50 were men. [The gender of victims were not specified in every case.]
- 85 pedestrians were killed last year, compared with 92 in 1999.
- The number of cyclists killed fell from 14 in 1999 to 10 in 2000.
- Motorcyclists fatalities dropped from 43 to 39 in 2000.
- Ireland's rate of road deaths in 1999 (11 per 100,000) is ranked joint seventh among the 15 EU states.
Road Accident Facts 2000 was compiled from information supplied by An Garda Siochana. It includes an analysis of road accident statistics and contributing factors involved.