One in five killed on roads were not wearing seatbelt

Latest figures show one in five people killed on the Republic’s roads was not wearing a seatbelt, incoming chairwoman of the Road Safety Authority Liz O’Donnell said yesterday.

Addressing TDs and Senators before she jointly launched plans for next Sunday’s World day of Remembrance for Road Traffic Victims, Ms O’Donnell said figures for 2012 showing 20 per cent of victims had not worn a seatbelt were being replicated this year.

Tackling the seatbelt issue was just one of the priorities to be addressed in reducing the numbers of deaths and serious injuries, she said, and she told TDs and Senators there was “systematic under-reporting of serious injuries”.

Ms O’Donnell said it would be her job to see the current road safety strategy was implemented. But she said she was concerned at the reduction in numbers of gardaí in the Garda traffic corps, down from 1,200 about five years ago, to the current level of about 800.

‘Extremely important’

Ms O’Donnell said visible road safety policing was “extremely important” and she particularly mentioned mandatory alcohol testing of drivers in the in run-up to Christmas.

Ms O’Donnell’s concern about the strength of the traffic corps was echoed by Minister for Transport Paschal Donohoe when they jointly launched the plans for the day of remembrance.

Mr Donohoe said it was important that “as more gardaí come on line” through the current recruitment programme “that we rebuild the ability of the Garda to do this kind of work like they did in the past”.

While he said deployment was an issue for the acting Garda Commissioner, he hoped she would “look at the resources that are coming and would make the right decision” in relation to road safety.

“It is essential that as these gardaí come in they are prioritised into the area of [crash] prevention,” he said.

The launch of World Remembrance Day was attended by Dr Laura Doherty and Michael O’Neill, both of whom were affected by road collisions. Dr Doherty was involved in a collision in 2009 which resulted in a brain injury.

Mr O’Neill lost his daughter Fiona (21) and her 23-year-old boyfriend, Dominic Wogan, in a collision in 2001.

Mr Donohoe said their testimony was a “crucial” part of the road safety message.

The Road Safety Authority said 23,596 people had lost their lives on the Republic’s roads since statistics were first compiled in 1959, up to yesterday morning. The figure includes some 166 so far this year, about three greater than last year.

This Sunday victims of road collisions globally will be remembered at a range of services and commemorations around the country.