Jim O'Keeffe
Question:105 Mr. J. O'Keeffe asked the Minister for Transport the main causes of fatal and serious road traffic accidents; and the steps proposed to confront them. [23088/03]
Written Answers. - Road Safety.
The Road Safety Strategy 1998 – 2002 prioritised a systematic and co-ordinated set of measures for preventing and reducing road accidents. It established quantified targets for achieving its objectives, the principal of which was to reduce road deaths and serious injuries each by at least 20% by 2002 relative to 1997. Priority was accorded by the strategy to actions targeted at speeding, drink driving and seat belt wearing.
These are accepted both internationally and nationally as the three main contributory factors to road traffic accidents. The success of the first road safety strategy can be measured by the fact that both road deaths and serious injuries decreased by over 20% over the lifetime of that strategy.
A review carried out by an international road safety expert on the first strategy indicates that these areas remain valid and that they should continue to be targeted. In this context, the new road safety strategy which is currently being prepared by the high level group on road safety will provide for a continuing focus on measures aimed at targeting these three contributory factors to fatal and serious injury accidents.