Dublin now has the safest roads of any capital city in Europe, it has been claimed.
Just seven people to date have been killed on Dublin’s road this year and none since June. By this stage last year 13 people had been killed.
At the unveiling of a Garda casualty reduction implementation plan, which will include a crackdown on jaywalking, the head of the Road Safety Authority (RSA)Noel Brett said recent figures showed how successful Dublin had been in reducing the number of road accident victims.
According to the European Transport Safety Council report, Dublin has achieved a 12 per cent annual reduction in casualty numbers in the last 10 years.
Mr Brett said the reduction was down to several issues including greater enforcement by the garda traffic corps, the ban on HGV trucks in the city centre and a huge increase in the volume of cyclists which tend to slow down motorists.
Chief Superintendent Alan Reid of the Dublin Metropolitan Division said the controversial 30 kilometre enforcement zone in Dublin city centre was proving to be a success.
He cited international research which shows that just 5 per cent of those who are hit at 30kph are killed which rises to 45 per cent at 50kph and 85 per cent for those hit by a motorist driving at 60kph.
However, he said it was being implemented as a traffic calming measure rather than as an enforcement measure. “We’re looking for compliance strictly in that area,” he said. “I believe the 30 kilometre zone has been very helpful in focusing people’s minds as they move into the vulnerable area where pedestrian and pedal cyclists are meeting the car driver.”
It has also emerged that the number of road fatalities in the country in general is likely to dip below the 200 mark for the first time ever this year. To date 136 people have been killed on Irish roads in 2011. The equivalent figure this time last year was 151.
Nevertheless, the gardai will introduce a casualty reduction implementation plan from Saturday for eight weeks to coincide with the months of October and November when traditionally there is a spike in accidents.
The campaign will be particularly focused on speeding especially in 30kph and 50kph zones and gardai on bicycles will enforce jaywalking particularly at busy junctions where pedestrians are likely to break the lights.
Vulnerable road users will be targeted through education to include the use of safety messages on both Dublin City Council and National Roads Authority VMS signs and more awareness campaigns, most notably a “It won’t happen to me” road safety programme at senior secondary school level.
