asked the Minister for Justice if he will give similar information for road accidents within the State as is given in Tables I, II and III in Italian Affairs May/June, 1959, pages 2617/2620.
Written Answers. - Road Accidents.
79.
The only available statistics in relation to road accidents are those in the annual "Statistics of Road Accidents in Ireland", copies of which, for the year 1956, have been presented to both Houses of the Oireachtas.
The following tables have been constructed from these statistics:—
TABLE I
FATAL road accidents per 10,000 mechanically-propelled vehicles (1956).
(The figures relate to persons killed and include all persons in the categories shown who were killed in road accidents even if, in the case of pedestrians and cyclists, the accident did not involve a mechanically propelled vehicle).
|
Total Number |
Number per 10,000 vehicles* |
|
|
Pedestrians |
106 |
4.4 |
|
Pedal cyclists |
†102 |
4.2 |
|
‡Motor cycles, scooters and micro-motors |
†38 |
1.6 |
|
Motor vehicles (drivers only) |
35 |
1.4 |
|
Motor vehicles (passengers in and attendants on) |
29 |
1.2 |
*This appears to be the sense in which the sign "%" is used in Italian Affairs.
†These figures include both drivers and passengers. The corresponding figures in the table in Italian Affairs refer to drivers only.
‡Micro-motors are grouped with motorcycles in the returns available in this country. They are grouped with bicycles in the table in Italian Affairs.
TABLE II
NUMBER of road accidents (causing death or personal injuries) in relation to vehicles licensed (1956).
|
Total mechanically-propelled vehicles |
243,044 |
|
Total deaths |
313* |
|
Deaths per 10,000 vehicles |
12.9 |
|
Total accidents (causing death or injuries) |
4,227 |
|
Accidents per 10,000 vehicles |
174 |
*The total shown in Table I as having been killed is 310. The difference of 3 is accounted for by the fact that 3 persons were killed in horse-drawn vehicles and Table I has no such category.
TABLE III
(There are no reliable figures of accidents resulting in material damage only, since such accidents need not, save in certain circumstances, be reported to the Garda Síochána. The figures hereunder refer to such of those accidents as are reported).
|
Year |
Accidents resulting in death or personal injury |
Accidents resulting in material damage only and reported to the Garda Síochána |
Number killed |
Number injured |
|
1952 |
3,535 |
4,135 |
222 |
4,208 |
|
1953 |
3,777 |
3,798 |
257 |
4,476 |
|
1954 |
3,984 |
4,348 |
267 |
4,769 |
|
1955 |
4,341 |
4,416 |
282 |
5,200 |
|
1956 |
4,227 |
4,210 |
313 |
5,027 |
|
1957 |
3,545 |
3,401 |
274 |
4,328 |
|
1958 |
3,605 |
3,621 |
269 |
4,442 |