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AFTER A RISE in the amount of road deaths reported for 2014- the first week of 2015 has proved no different.
Six people were killed on our roads in the first 7 days of this year – while figures released for 2014 showed an increase in road deaths from the year previous.
A total of 196 people died last year – compared to 190 in 2013. However, that number was down to 162 in 2012.
The Road Safety Authority has expressed serious concern following the rise in road deaths last year and an equally tragic and poor start for road safety in 2015. CEO of the RSA, Moyagh Murdock, said:
It’s been an appalling start to the year and mirrors exactly the situation at the same time last year.
Ireland road record
It’s important to note that the latest European Transport Safety Council’s (ETSC) Road Safety Performance Index (PIN) report showed that Ireland, Sweden, Norway and the UK had the lowest death rates across Europe based on journeys taken.
Based on 2013 figures, it found Ireland to be well below the EU average of 51 deaths per million population- with 41. The lowest rate was in Sweden at 27, and the highest was in Romania at 93.
Sweden’s roads have become the world’s safest with other places such as New York trying to copy it’s success.
‘Vision Zero’
Three Swedes in every 100,000 die on the roads each year – compared with 11.4 per 100,000 in America and 40 in the Dominican Republic, (which has the world’s deadliest traffic).
In 1997, the Swedish parliament wrote into law a “Vision Zero” plan, promising to eliminate road fatalities and injuries altogether. Deaths have now reduced by half since 2000.
It’s “2+1″ roads – where each lane of traffic takes turns using a middle lane to overtake – is said to have saved over 145 lives over the first decade of the plan.
Sweden also has low speed limits in urban areas, pedestrian zones and barriers that separate bikes from cars.
It’s believed that strict policing has also helped – with less than 0.25% of drivers tested now over the alcohol limit.
Road deaths of children have plummeted—in 2012 only one child was killed, compared with 58 in 1970.
That’s a stark difference to Ireland where there was a doubling in the number of fatalities among children last year.
Sixteen children aged up to 15 years lost their lives in 2014, eight were pedestrians and eight were passengers.
What needs to be done?
A report by the WhiteRoads EU project, showed that good road design, the presence of adequate maintenance programmes, the installation of reliable homogenous traffic signage, road markings and appropriate lighting are among the key aspects that lead to low accident rates on sections of roads.
However, an EU report on road surfaces shows that Ireland drastically reduced its road maintenance budget between 2008 and 2011 due to the economic crisis.
Ireland South MEP and member of the European Parliament Transport Committee Deirdre Clune, said:
The decision to drastically slash our road maintenance budget between 2008 and 2011 has had enormous economic and safety repercussions and was extremely short sighted.
“I understand that budgets were and continue to be limited but there are economic costs associated with poor road maintenance, not to mention an increased risk of accidents on our roads.”
Clune said she met with the European Road Safety Council, ETSC, during the week and that they’re trying to secure a number of new initiatives at European level “including seat belt reminders for the back seats, alcohol interlocks on the ignition and enhanced safety design for cars”.
The CEO of the RSA, Moyagh Murdock, appealed for road users to be extra vigilant, “I would appeal to all road users, as a New Year’s resolution, to please make safer choices when using the road.
Each one of us has the power to make a difference on the road. We did it before, in 2012 when we saved more lives on the road than ever before. We need to do it again in 2015.
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I like the idea of having a beer watching a film. Like the Stella class seating
@Michael o Dwyer: Segregation. Nice.
@Michael o Dwyer: I knew the real Michael Dwyer he used to work for the Irish times and enjoy free access to cinema s cross Ireland coz of his work sadly Michael passed away sum years back he would av loved this news
@liam ward: Cinema killed him? Mad!
Pointless as the films are all rubbish these days with only superheroes and marvel bollix. No wonder the kids are soft in the head.
@Buster Lawless: how very dare you.
@Paul Whitehead: feckin xmen 32
@Buster Lawless: fact. Absolute dirt being released for years now.
@Buster Lawless: while I agree with you to a point, they still knock out good movies now and again. Some great directors out there making movies that aren’t superhero based. Even when they are, they can be good. “Logan” is a good example.
@Buster Lawless: Evil does not Exist, Poor Things, All of us strangers, Monster, Teachers lounge….I can add 50 more from this year alone, that are excellent.
There is only one Marvel film released this year which is Deadpool. While there have been 100+ adult themed films released so far this year that are absolutely worth your time.
You’re comment is not just lazy, it’s bland tiresome and entirely uneducated. Take some time in the IFI/Lighthousecinema some time.
@Ted Daly: 2023 is considered one of the 4 best years for film in history.
@neil fanning: do not be swayed by Oscar nominated movies, these are the worst of all.
@Buster Lawless: What are your favourite movies?
Cinema is on its last legs,they are doing all they can to attract, Netflix and sponsors destroying this form of entertainment, unless it’s a Blockbuster folk don’t go anymore, Netflix movies are so bad and cheaply made.
@Phillip Smyth: The biggest turn off for me going to the cinema these days is other people. It’s a shame that what used to be a fun experience is now being ruined by inconsiderate muppets. I’m talking about those who think that it is perfectly acceptable to hold conversations on their phone during the screening. Or frequently with each other at a loud volume, either in groups or couples. Not forgetting latecomers to the film long after it has started, with all the attendant coat-doffing, seat shuffling and bag arranging that entails. And don’t even get me started on loud, rowdy teenagers acting up in the cinema as if they were at home! Basic good old-fashioned manners, cinema etiquette and consideration for others seem to be a thing of the past.
@Phillip Smyth: Whether they’re bad are not is a matter of personal taste, they’re hardly ‘cheaply made though’ .. unless you consider 100m + movies cheap. The Irishman cost them 160m to make .. it was neither bad(imo) nor cheaply made. The fact you can get a monthly subscription and access to all their content for the price of a stand alone ticket to the cinema will have obvious ramifications for cinema. Thats even before we start talking about mobile phone use in the cinema and zero regard for etiquette.. the primary reason I very rarely go anymore.
@Sean May: Spot on Sean.
@Sean May: and then there is all that.
Irishman good story line and great actors just did not do it for me,jmo.
@Brian: the irishman cost 40 million no more
@Buster Lawless: it was well in excess of 160 million. 40. Lol.
@Ted Daly: it was 40 million MAX
@Buster Lawless: this guy is a bit annoying, is he trying to be funny and win friends on The Journal comments section? Anyway give me the cinema over netflix anyday, can’t beat watching a movie on the big screen.
@James Rowan: is this then the obvious, elephant in the room.
Shame they did not build a 70mm IMAX screen as we have to go all the way to the UK for them.
Three years too late. I would have loved a full bottle of vodka and couch whilst enjoying Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings.
@Pól Pot: It must be awful waking up and discovering you’re still you. Absolutely nothing of value to give the world.
@Ollie McGlinchey: Last nights half digested kebab?
@Ollie McGlinchey: You’re the epitome of why segregation exists, brother. “But I say unto you, Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you”
@Ollie McGlinchey: Do you ever look yourself in the eye? Physically and metaphorically? God, I bet it really hurts you if you are aware enough to realise that you are stuck being you. Poor sod! I hope the next life will be better for you. I jest, I couldn’t give a fk about you lolololololol
@Mike: “You shall not take vengeance or bear a grudge against any of your people, but you shall love your neighbor as yourself….”
@Pól Pot: I’m always sayin dah meself, pal.
I hate those headlines (the reason why will surprise you)
@KTH: G’wan so and surprise me
@Mick O’K:
Because of one thing (it’s probably not what you think)
Yes indeed
Yippee. Will they serve popcorn and fizzy drinks?
@Garreth Byrne: Hopefully not, as far as popcorn is concerned. I loathe the smell of it and the noise of people crunching on it drives me to distraction. Ditto for crisps and the rustling of the bags. (I have noise sensitivity issues.)
@Sean May: This is why l don’t go to the cinema.
@Garreth Byrne: The Irish cinema has become a gross-out. They’re not cleaned properly. The carpet smells and the seating is in poor repair in many places. Plus the floor is often sticky. Eating and drinking should be banned. Natchos, popcorn, hot dogs and all the other scutter should be banned. If you want your dinner – stay at home. Not to mention the place being left afterwards like a herd of pigs passed through it. For this reason, I let any movie I want to see run its course for four or five weeks to flush out the animals. I go when the place is practically empty and the movie in question is about to be discontinued. I find it’s the only solution. (Floor is still sticky though)
Hate going to the cinema unless it’s at the end of a picture’s run and the place is half empty. Literally, can’t abide the sound of 100 other people chomping,crunching, and slurping . It would seem that nobody can watch anything these days without having to consume their own body weight in odiferous snacks. Happy these days to wait until it’s on Netflix and watch in peace, even if it’s just on my phone .
@IMHO: Exactly. See my comment above.
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