Number of cyclist deaths doubles in first half of year

The number of cyclists killed on the roads in the first half of this year was double that recorded in the same period in 2016, gardaí have said.

Ten cyclists died in road accidents in the six months to June, compared to five in the same period last year.

The figures emerged as gardaí and the Road Safety Authority published a provisional review of road deaths so far this year which shows that 77 people were killed between January and the end of June. There were 10 fewer deaths deaths and 12 fewer fatal collisions than in the same period last year.

Minister for Transport Shane Ross said the increasing number of cyclists dying on the road was "very worrying".

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“The other road deaths are down, down a very small amount and the number is still utterly unacceptable,” he said.

‘Needless incidents’

Assistant Garda Commissioner Michael Finn, who is in charge of the Roads Policing Unit, said "we all share the road, and if we're considerate of each other, we'll see fewer needless incidents and deaths".

Detection rates for drink-driving increased by 18 per cent in the first half of the year with the number of arrests for the offence rising from 3,787 to 4,450 year on year, a statistic Mr Ross described as “depressing”.

“What it indicates is that we have a really serious drink-driving problem. Those who felt drink-driving had disappeared were wrong,” he added.

Asked if there were statistics on the number of breath tests carried out in the first half of the year, Mr Finn said he would not be publishing any new data on the subject until it could be verified over a period of time.

Fatalities

The highest number of fatalities among all road users occurred in Dublin with 13 deaths followed by seven each in Cork, Mayo and Meath.

Michael Rowland, of the Road Safety Authority, warned against complacency despite the fact that 10 fewer people had died on roads so far this year.

“If the current monthly average were to continue, 78 more people could die by the end of 2017,” he said.

The new research found that over half of fatalities happened from Saturday to Monday and one third of fatalities occurred between 4pm and 8pm.