11 May 2011
Research Reveals Road Deaths Halved Over Last Decade
UN Decade of Action for Road Safety Launched
Research announced today by the Road Safety Authority (RSA) and An Garda Síochána has revealed that road deaths dropped by 48% over the last decade. The announcement came as the RSA, An Garda Síochána, Local Authority Road Safety Officers and PARC Road Safety Group marked the global launch of the UN Decade of Action for Road Safety 2011-2020. The research, which analyses road deaths and serious injuries during the ten year period 2001 to 2010, also revealed a drop of 58% in the number of serious injuries sustained on Irish roads.
With the campaign slogan ‘Make Roads Safe’, the UN Decade of Action for Road Safety aims to save 5 million lives on the world’s roads in the next ten years. This represents a total reduction of 50% on the predicted global death toll by 2020. At present, 1.3 million lives are lost and 50 million injuries are sustained as a result of collisions on the world’s roads every year. Last year, 211 people died and 592 people were seriously injured on Irish roads. The RSA today announced a series of activities that will take place around the country to mark the UN Decade of Action with a major campaign set for later this year. The campaign will encourage people to continue their support for road safety by making a public commitment to change their behaviour on the roads for the better and make the roads safer for all road-users.
Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport Mr Leo Varadkar T.D., said: “As we launch UN Decade of Action for Road Safety today, we all need to ask ourselves what we can do to make our roads safer. Road users across Ireland have shown how small changes to behaviour on the roads can make a big difference in saving lives and preventing serious injuries. So please continue the good work by supporting UN Decade of Action for Road Safety and making your own commitment to making the roads safer for everyone."
Speaking at the launch today, Mr Noel Brett, Chief Executive of the RSA said: “Today marks the beginning of a series of activities that will encourage road-users to make a change to their behaviour for the better. Reducing global road deaths by 50% over the next ten years seems like an impossible task but Irish road users have shown countries around the world that it can be done. In the past ten 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. Think about what you can do to make this happen - changing your behaviour on the roads for the better could save a life.”
The research revealed that the highest reduction in road deaths in the last decade (2001 to 2010) was recorded in pedal cyclists and motorcyclists (75% and 66% reduction respectively). Last year alone, fatalities among motorcyclists fell by 32% compared to 2009 figures. The number of drivers and passengers who were killed in 2010 also decreased with a reduction of 9% compared to 2009.
Chief Superintendent Gabriel McIntyre, An Garda Síochána said: “An Garda Síochána are committed to working with the Road Safety Authority (RSA), road safety groups and local authorities throughout the country to promote UN Decade of Action for Road Safety. 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.”
Susan Gray, PARC Road Safety Group said: “PARC Road Safety Group, representing the Victims of road traffic collisions and their families, welcomes the huge reductions in deaths and injuries on our roads announced today and we wish to commend all of the Stakeholders in Road Safety who played a part in contributing to this decline. We must however reflect at the launch of this UN Decade of Action for Road Safety and remember the personal stories behind these 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.”
She added “They are much more than just numbers and we remember all of the Victims here today. Road traffic collisions are preventable and we must all play our small part in reducing this needless pain and suffering and in making our roads safer for all.”
Events to mark UN Decade of Action for Road Safety are being organised by Local Authorities throughout the country. Further information on these events will be available on the RSA website www.rsa.ie and also on the World Health Organisation’s website www.who.int
Further information on UN Decade of Action for Road Safety is available on www.makeroadssafe.org.
For media queries, please contact:
RSA Press Office: 096 25008
Or
An Garda Síochána: 01 666 2071 / pressoffice@garda.ie
Or
Donna Price or Susan Gray, PARC Tel: +353868634194 Email: susan@parcgroup.ie
1. Table of Killed and Seriously Injured (KSI) in the period 2001 to 2010
| Casualty |
2001 |
2002 |
2003 |
2004 |
2005 |
2006 |
2007 |
2008 |
2009 |
2010 |
%Change 2010-2001 |
| Killed |
411 |
376 |
335 |
374 |
396 |
365 |
338 |
279 |
238 |
211 |
-48% |
| Seriously Injured |
1417 |
1150 |
1009 |
877 |
1021 |
907 |
860 |
835 |
640 |
592 |
-58% |
| KSI |
1828 |
1526 |
1344 |
1251 |
1417 |
1272 |
1198 |
1114 |
878 |
803 |
-56% |
2. Fatalities in the period 2001 to 2010 by road user
| Road User Type |
2001 |
2002 |
2003 |
2004 |
2005 |
2006 |
2007 |
2008 |
2009 |
2010 |
2010->2009 |
2010->2001 |
| Pedestrians |
89 |
86 |
64 |
70 |
74 |
73 |
81 |
49 |
40 |
41 |
3% |
- 54% |
| Pedal Cyclists |
12 |
18 |
11 |
11 |
10 |
9 |
15 |
13 |
7 |
3 |
- 57% |
- 75% |
| Motor Cyclists |
50 |
44 |
55 |
50 |
56 |
29 |
33 |
29 |
25 |
17 |
- 32% |
- 66% |
| Car Users |
230 |
200 |
172 |
208 |
222 |
226 |
171 |
160 |
146 |
133 |
- 9% |
- 42% |
| PSV Users |
0 |
1 |
0 |
0 |
6 |
3 |
1 |
0 |
1 |
1 |
0% |
- |
| Goods Vehicle |
26 |
20 |
27 |
25 |
22 |
18 |
32 |
20 |
17 |
13 |
-24% |
- 50% |
| Other or Unknown |
4 |
7 |
6 |
10 |
6 |
7 |
5 |
8 |
2 |
4 |
100% |
0% |
| TOTAL |
411 |
376 |
335 |
374 |
396 |
365 |
338 |
279 |
238 |
212 |
- 11% |
- 48% |
Among the activities planned by Road Safety Officers around the country are:
Nationwide:
A national one minute 'eerie sound of Silence' will be broadcast on community, local, regional and national radio stations to mark Decade of Action for Road Safety. The piece will be of an eerie sound which depicts a person in a crashed car on the side of the road. Each participating radio station will have their own unique sound piece at the end which is specific to the station’s franchise area. This will be broadcast throughout the country at 11.59am on Wednesday 11th May 2011. The campaign will be accompanied by a poster campaign. This campaign has been coordinated by Kildare County Council and is supported by all Local Authority Road Safety Officers;
Clare:
Clare County Council has developed a logo for Decade of Action. This logo will appear on all literature for road safety and also Clare County Council documents for the duration of the Decade of Action.
Cork City:
The Decade of Action will be launched by Deputy Lord Mayor of Cork City Council on the 11th May 2011. The Decade of Action will also be promoted on Cork City Council’s website. A report on the Decade of Action will be prepared and presented to the Roads and Transportation Strategic Policy Committee meeting in July 2011.
Donegal:
Donegal County Council are promoting the following activities to coincide with the launch of the UN Decade of Action in Co. Donegal:
- Mobile phone campaign to warn of the dangers of using a mobile when driving;
- 24th May - Cross Border Young Drivers Event. This event involves all Donegal Youthreach Centres and the two Garda Diversion projects.
Galway:
The Decade of Action will be launched jointly by the Major of County Galway, Councillor Jimmy McClearn and the Mayor of Galway City, Councillor Michael Crowe, on 11th May, 2011 at 11.00 a.m. in Galway County Council’s Offices.
Kildare:
Road safety promotion events will take place in Co. Kildare to mark the launch of the Decade of Action on the 11th of May 2011 including an AXA Road Safety roadshow at the Keadeen Hotel, Newbridge on 11th May at 10.30am. This educational roadshow is targeted at teenagers. Kildare County Council will also promote two road safety projects completed by students from Co. Kildare to mark the launch of the Decade of Action on the 11th of May 2011.
Longford:
Longford County Council in conjunction with the Health Service Executive and Longford County Childcare Committee are organising a Walking School Bus on the 11th May in the local primary schools to mark the launch of the Decade of Action for Road Safety 2011-2020
Mayo:
Mayo County Council have organised a petition where people can sign up the Decade of Action on their Facebook site. To mark the launch of the Decade of Action, Mayo County Council has broadcasted road safety messages/videos in night clubs and late bars in Co. Mayo. Mayo County Council are also organising a campaign which will highlight the dangers of using a mobile phone when driving to mark the Decade of Action.
Meath:
Meath County Council in co-operation with Kells Road Race Committee are promoting a motorcycle safety awareness campaign in the Ardboyne, Hotel, Navan at 6:30pm on the 11th May 2011 to mark the Decade of Action.
South Dublin:
The Decade of Action will be promoted on South Dublin County Council’s website and South Dublin County Council social media sites.
PARC Road Safety Group
PARC will have a Ceremony of Remembrance for road traffic victims at the main focal point for the launch of the Decade of action. Candles will be lit in memory of all those tragically killed on our roads. We will also launch our new interactive website which will offer post-crash information and support to Victims of road traffic collisions and their families, together with raising awareness of causative factors of these collisions and preventative measures which need to be taken in order to save lives.