RSA advertising cut by 80%

THE ADVERTISING budget of the Road Safety Authority (RSA), used to purchase TV, online and billboard advertising, has been cut by over 80 per cent – from €5.4 million in 2008 to €1 million.

As a result, plans for a number of campaigns have been suspended and only one anti-speeding TV ad campaign is due this year.

The Minister for Transport Noel Dempsey told the Dáil last month that while “road safety campaigns are particularly effective. . . difficult Exchequer funding decisions have had to be made”.

Mr Dempsey said he understood TDs’ concerns about the cuts but said the RSA reduction mirrored similar cuts across all Departments and agencies.

“If you take the anti-speeding ad Mess, research showed an awareness level of 88 per cent with 85 per cent claiming it led to a change in behaviour,” Brian Farrell, RSA spokesman said.

With private speed cameras still not in place and penalty points undermined because almost a third of offending drivers do not have points attached to their licence, advertising campaigns are seen as a way to improve driver behaviour quickly.

As of yesterday evening, there had been 115 road fatalities this year – 10 fewer than the same period in 2008. However, in May, 32 people died on the roads compared with 19 in May last year, prompting concerns that road safety gains made last year – when deaths fell to a record low of 279 – might not be sustained.

Mr Dempsey said the Exchequer would provide €32.8 million for the RSA this year, including provision for education, awareness and research programmes.