The State must prioritise investment in road safety even in the face of cut-backs from the Department of Finance, the National Safety Council (NSC) said today.
Chairman of the NSC, Mr Eddie Shaw said road improvements have to be budgeted and evaluated as an investment programme.
Quoting from the Bacon Cost Benefit Analysis - a report for the Government on the economic benefits of the Road Safety Strategy - Mr Shaw said there is a potential return of €8 for every €1 invested in road safety.
Mr Shaw was speaking at the publication of the NSC's Annual Review of Activities for 2002 which noted a fall of 8.5 per cent fall in road deaths compared with 2001.
He said the implementation of penalty points "more than any other single initiative, has shown how the benefits assumed in the Bacon Cost Benefit Analysis can be realised."
In the 10 month period between November 1st, 2002, and September 10th this year 281 people died on the roads. This compares with 353 over the same period the previous year.
Reduced crashes led to reduced pressure on the health services. Mr Shaw said admissions to the National Spinal Injuries Unit dropped by 50 per cent in the first six months of the scheme.
The NSC said road deaths have dropped by 20 per cent since 1997.