According to the World Health Organisation (WHO), the leading cause of death among young people between 15 and 29 years of age is road traffic accidents. The WHO data provides the shocking statistic that in 2015 more than 1.2 million adolescents died with approximately 10% of these fatalities caused by road traffic injuries. The report found that most of the fatal road traffic accidents involved males with young people on bikes, motorbikes or on foot most at risk. To read the full report, click here.

The Irish Experience

According to recent figures published by the Road Safety Authority (RSA), there have been 77 fatalities on Irish road so far, this year. While this figure shows a decrease in 10 deaths since last year, the RSA has warned that it could increase by 78 people if the current trend continues. To read the full report, click here. In 2016, there were 187 fatalities on Irish roads in comparison to 162 fatalities in 2015.

Reducing Deaths On Our Roads

Ronan Hynes, Health & Safety Expert with Sellors commented on the statistics: “Whilst legislation and road safety campaigns are having an effect on reducing accident numbers, it is clear from the figures we still have a long way to go. One fatality on our roads is simply one too many. There are some very good initiatives from the Road Safety Authority and others, where the goal is to prevent the tragedy of so many lives being lost, however, it is up to all of us who use the roads to play our role in making this happen.”

Contact Us

Ronan Hynes

Ronan Hynes, Litigation & Dispute Resolution Partner at Keating Connolly Sellors, can be contacted at [email protected] or by telephone on +353 (0)61 414 355 or +353 (0)61 432 348.

The material contained in this article is for general information purposes only and does not constitute legal or other professional advice. We advise people to always seek specific expert advice for their individual circumstances.