Fatalities amongst cyclists and motorcyclists on the State’s roads showed the highest reduction of all road deaths in the last decade, according to figures published today.
Research published by the Road Safety Authority and An Garda Síochána reveals a drop of 75 per cent in the number of cyclists killed between 2001 and 2010. The number of motorcyclists killed in the same period fell by two thirds.
Last year alone, fatalities among motorcyclists fell by 32 per cent (from 25 to 17) compared to 2009 figures. The number of drivers and passengers killed last year fell by 9 per cent on 2009.
In total, 212 people died on the roads here last year compared to 411 in 2001, a drop of some 48 per cent.
The research, which analyses road deaths and serious injuries in the 2001-2010 period, also showed a drop of 58 per cent in the number of serious injuries in road crashes.
An Garda Síochána, the Road Safety Authority, local authority road safety officers and Parc road safety group also today marked the worldwide launch of the UN Decade of Action for Road Safety 2011-2020.
The event aims to save five million lives on the world’s roads in the next 10 years. This represents a total reduction of 50 per cent on the predicted global death toll by 2020. Currently, 1.3 million lives are lost and 50 million injuries are sustained as a result of collisions on the world’s roads every year.
Garda Chief Superintendent Gabriel McIntyre said gardai were committed to working with the Road Safety Authority , road safety groups and local authorities throughout the country to promote the UN event.
“Over the past number of years, Ireland has been at the forefront of changing road safety attitudes and behaviour. This has contributed to fewer deaths and serious injuries on Irish roads than ever before and could not have been done without the support of everyone who uses the roads.
“Today we are asking you to renew your commitment to making our roads safer for ourselves, our families and for future road-users.”
Chief executive of the RSA Noel Brett said reducing global road deaths over the next 10 years seemed like an “impossible task” but that Irish road users had shown other countries it was possible.
“In the past 10 years, together we have saved more lives on the roads than ever before but there is still a lot of work to be done to make sure fewer families suffer the grief of losing a loved one.”
Susan Gray of the Parc road safety group welcomed the “huge reductions” in deaths and injuries on the roads.
But she said marking the opening of the UN decade of action required people to reflect on the personal stories behind the “cold statistics”.
“Each one represents a life cut tragically short or altered forever through injury, and a family left behind to cope with a lifetime of pain and suffering.”