asked the Minister for the Environment the plans, if any, he has to implement a positive health programme in the area of warnings in relation to traffic accidents which are now the greatest continuing threat to the lives of all those under 35 in Ireland, given that a considerable amount of health spending is accounted for in the care of road accident victims.
Written Answers. - Road Safety.
57.
The promotion of programmes aimed at heightening public awareness of the causes and cost of traffic accidents and of educating the public to the preventive measures that can and should be taken to avoid such accidents is the primary task of the National Road Safety Association which operates under the aegis of my Department.
It is important to note that the level of death and injury on our roads has shown a steady decline over the past decade, deaths falling from a peak of 628 in 1978 to 386 in 1986 and injuries from 9,313 to 7,690 in the same period. Road accident rates now compare favourably with the rates in other member states of the EC and it will be my aim as Minister for the Environment to see that the position in this respect will, at minimum be maintained.