Total of road fatalities in 2002 is set to be lowest in recent years

The number of road fatalities this year is set to fall to its lowest level in recent times.

A total of 379 people had died on the roads in 2002 up to yesterday - a drop of 32 on the figure for 2001.

Not since 1986 - when there were 387 fatalities - has the annual death toll fallen below 400.

The last such occasion was in 1966, when 382 people were reported to have died on the roads. Statistics from that era, however, are not considered fully reliable.

The reduction this year is mainly accounted for by a decline in fatalities following the introduction of the first phase of the penalty points system - that directed against speeding - on October 31st last. In the final two months of 2002 there were 33 fewer road fatalities than in the same period in 2001.

Welcoming the downward trend yesterday, the Minister for Transport, Mr Brennan, said that the introduction of penalty points appeared to have been a big factor in changing driver behaviour. While the figures were "extremely encouraging", he said there was still an unacceptable level of carnage on the roads.

"A lot of families out there are grieving as a result of what happened in 2002," he added.

The chief executive of the National Safety Council, Mr Pat Costello, also welcomed the figures, saying: "I would consider some congratulations due to all road-users, but particularly drivers. There has been a sea change in driving behaviour."

The decrease follows three years of similar death tolls - 413, 415 and 411 in 1999, 2000 and 2001, respectively. Throughout the 1970s the annual figure regularly topped 500, peaking at 640 in 1972.

The drop means that the Government has come close to reaching its target of achieving a 20 per cent reduction in road fatalities between 1997 and 2002. Barring any major incidents today, the reduction achieved during that period will stand at 18 per cent.

Mr Costello said that a number of factors were behind this success, including "our own hard-hitting commercials, enforcement by the gardaí and the introduction of penalty points". However, he added: "Having said that, there's no room for complacency. The pressure must be kept up. Enforcement must be kept up."

Asked whether the figures indicated that lives would have been saved if the penalty points system had been introduced earlier, Mr Costello replied: "I don't like to reflect on that. Penalty points are here and they have resulted in a marked difference in the area of speeding."

The 379 fatalities up to yesterday comprised 158 drivers, 85 pedestrians, 73 passengers, 42 motorcyclists, 18 pedal cyclists and three motorcycle pillion passengers.

Figures for injuries have yet to be collated, although these are understood to be down on 2001.

Further phases of the penalty points system are to be introduced early next year. The non-wearing of seat-belts and dangerous overtaking are to be targeted first, according to the Minister. Dangerous overtaking has been identified as a major cause of crashes, with studies showing that the majority of fatal incidents have occurred on straight stretches of road.

More than 60 offences are to be added to the penalty points system up to the final quarter of next year, when the National Driver File is due to come on stream. Delays in activating the computerised data bank have resulted in repeated postponements of the penalty points system.

Meanwhile, Mr Brennan is planning to publish a new three-year road safety strategy early next year. He has indicated that the new strategy will have fewer targets than the previous one, "The Road to Safety 1998-2002".