New strategy aims to cut number of road deaths and injuries by half
A new strategy aimed at cutting the number of road deaths and serious injuries by half by 2030 was outlined to members of the Westmeath Strategic Policy Committee on Transport at a recent meeting.
The government plans to invest €3.8 billion between now and 2024 and to reduce the number of road deaths from 144 to 72 and the number of serious injuries from 1,259 to 630 annually by 2030, they were told.
The county council has begun issuing road safety virtual reality sets to schools and has received “very positive feedback” from Loreto College, Mullingar, and Killucan Post Primary School. Moate and Athlone are next on the list and any other schools that are interested will be facilitated.
Chairperson, Cllr Hazel Smyth, said that this was a subject close to her heart as she had been affected by a road death. She called for tougher penalties for road traffic violations and said that should be a major focus for the gardaí and the judiciary. She called for more speed cameras as part of every new road development and said that it was unacceptable that some drivers were doing 200kmh when the maximum speed allowed was 120kmh. She called for a hotline for reporting reckless drivers anonymously. She also suggested that speed ramps be provided on rural roads as that is where accidents happen.
Cllr Smyth said that pedestrians, e-scooter users and cyclists must also be considered and suggested that children should be dropped off a kilometre from school and let walk the rest of the way, unless they are disabled. She called for more visible garda presence and more signage on the roads.
Alison Hough, environmentalist, suggested that the VR sets be rolled out to third level colleges too. She was assured that the council would welcome interest from schools, Post Leaving Cert Courses and colleges.
Cllr Denis Leonard welcomed this approach and also suggested that the council liaise with gardaí to ensure that they have an active role in going into schools to explain to students the carnage they come across on the roads. He was assured that the council had already met with the gardaí and would be working closely with them on this.
Cllr Tom Farrell welcomed the investment in road safety and said he hoped the money would be used to improve roads and make towns and villages safer.
Cllr Aoife Davitt said that the road safety VR sets had been a huge success and should be extended. She complained of seeing two youngsters aged about 12, whizzing by on a footpath on an e-scooter with no helmets. She said these scooters are dangerous and can do considerable speeds. Cllr Davitt was advised that a bill regarding e-scooters is about to be introduced and that further discussion on them should be deferred until it is passed.