New research published today has found that the Border region has a significantly higher proportion of fatal and serious road traffic collisions compared to the rest of Ireland.
During the period 2001-2004 alcohol was the main contributory factor in fatal single-vehicle collisions (57.3 per cent) and fatal collisions involving a pedestrian (42.9 per cent) in the Republic's Border counties.
Speed (42.2 per cent) was the main factor in collisions involving two vehicles, according to the research, initiated by health authorities in the Border area.
The most common age category for those responsible for fatal collisions during this period was the 20- to 24-year-old bracket.
A total of 127 people died in single vehicle collisions in the Border regions between 2001 and 2004 - which equates to one death every 11-and-a-half days.
Over 50 per cent of respondents said that they would accept a lift in a vehicle with someone who had been drinking excessively. Lack of taxis was cited as a factor in the decision to drink and drive and accept lifts from people who were drunk.
According to survey participants, road racing was something that was
often witnessed in Co Donegal. The view was also expressed that a driver breaking the law is more likely to be caught in Northern Ireland than the Republic.
The research was commissioned following a 2002 report that found Border region had a 33 per cent higher rate of deaths from traffic collisions than the rest of Ireland.
It is planned that the cross-Border group that commissioned the survey will also oversee implementing the actions recommended to reduce the number of crashes in the Border region.
The areas covered by the research are the counties of Cavan, Donegal, Leitrim, Louth, Monaghan, and Sligo - plus Co Meath for the fatal collisions research -
and the PSNI districts of Foyle; Newry and Mourne; Fermanagh; Dungannon and South Tyrone; Armagh; and Omagh and Strabane.