Road Safety.

Dáil Éireann Debate, Wednesday - 24 September 2008

Wednesday, 24 September 2008

Ceisteanna (633)

Seán Barrett

Ceist:

724 Deputy Seán Barrett asked the Minister for Transport his views on the findings in the report of the European Transport Safety Council that persons over 65 were one-and-a-half times more likely to die in road traffic accidents than those under 65; his further views on Ireland’s rate of progress, which is below the EU average, in reducing deaths among older road users, in view of our ranking as 21st out of 30 countries in road deaths; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [29674/08]

Freagraí scríofa

Minister of State at the Department of Transport (Deputy Noel Ahern)

The European Transport Safety Council (ETSC) publication highlights just how at risk older road users are as a result of road collisions across Europe as a whole. However, the report from the ETSC is based on the ten years 1997 — 2006 and does not reflect the significant improvement in Ireland's road safety performance in 2007 and to date in 2008.

Ireland has now entered the top ten EU best performing countries in terms of road deaths. Implementation of the Road Safety Strategy 2007-2012 will ensure that Ireland reduces the death and serious injury rates on its roads even further, across all high risk and vulnerable groups.