Earlier this year, the Road Safety Authority (RSA) along with the Department of Transport rolled out a new scheme to lower speed limits across local and rural roads. This was to help reduce the speed of vehicles in rural environments and to tackle the rising road deaths in recent years.
The aim is to try and reduce serious, life-threatening collisions occurring, and if collisions do occur, to limit the danger and prevent serious injury and fatalities. This is part of phase 1 of RSA’s Road Safety Strategy 2021-2030 plan to reduce serious incidents and road deaths by 50%; to 72 deaths by 2030 and to zero by 2050.
Despite the lower speed limits in rural and local roads, the fatalities count is still high and statistics remain nearly the same.
There have been 132 road deaths this year, compared to the 133 from the same time last year, according to the Garda Road Policing Unit statistics. So far this year 52 drivers, 29 pedestrians, 25 motorcyclists, 13 cyclists, 10 passengers, 2 e-scooters and 1 pillion passenger have died.
So, is it time for a further crack down on Irish roads and Irish drivers?
A national survey on speed in 2022 by the RSA found that men, from ages 25-34 are more likely to speed than any other group, and in a survey in 2021, 78% of people interviewed were said to go over the speed limits in 50km/h zones. As of data from January to July of this year, 56% of fatalities occurred on 80km/h to 100km/h roads.
We can see the government enforcing more measures on Irish roads. In 2022, fines for road traffic offences, speeding, mobile phone use, improper use of seatbelts and failure to properly restrain a child, doubled from €60 to €120 and three penalty points, 5 if convicted with possibilities of imprisonment, suspension and termination of licenses.
But there is another leading cause for deaths on Irish roads.
37% of driver fatalities had alcohol in their system from 2015-2019 with an available toxicology report. This makes 1 in 3 deaths on Irish roads alcohol related.
In 2024, 1 in 10 Irish motorists have driven after consuming alcohol, according to RSA statistics, and alcohol related crashes are the leading cause of death in young people from 16-25 in Europe.
Despite the awareness of drink driving, seen in more and more ads across national television, Ireland has the lowest level of road-side breath testing in the EU.
Countries across Europe are beginning to implement alcohol interlocks to help combat this issue, with the Irish government looking into the issue, but currently stationary due to the cost.
Currently we are in phase 2 of the RSA Road Safety Strategy plan. From now until 2027, new legislation and improvements to Irish roads will be coming into play. These will include reducing the speed limit on national roads from 100km/h to 80km/h, expand camera-based enforcement and proposals for alcohol interlocks.
Bus stops are to be improved, new cycling infrastructure and improved public transport systems, like the Dart+, BusConnects and the Metrolink are to be rolled out to reduce the amount of cars on roads and people killed per annum.
