A total of six people died in road traffic collisions in Co Clare last year.
The figure has been confirmed by An Garda Síochána and the Road Safety Authority and is the same as in 2018.
Provisional road collision statistics for 2019 show deaths resulting from road traffic collisions have increased nationally. A total of 148 people lost their lives in 2019, compared to 142 in 2018, a 4% rise. 2018 was the safest recorded year on Irish roads.
Up to 1pm on the 31 December 2019 a total of 148 people died on Ireland’s roads as a result of 137 fatal crashes, compared to 142 lives lost in 135 fatal crashes in 2018. The figures were published by the Road Safety Authority (RSA) following an analysis of provisional fatal collision reports by An Garda Síochána.
Casualty figures for 2019 show that while there has been a sharp drop in pedestrian deaths, down 15 or 36%, and passenger deaths, down 4 or 20%, there has been a worrying increase in the number of drivers killed, up 25 or 45%, compared to 2018.
While there was one more motorcyclist death recorded in 2019 compared to 2018 (16 versus 15) an overall analysis of vulnerable road user (VRU) casualties shows that there was a 23% reduction in VRU fatalities.
Of the six people who died on the roads in Clare in 2019, two were killed near Parteen which, although inside the county boundary, is policed by Gardaí from Limerick City.
The fatal collisions occurred at Castlefergus/Ballyhannon, Mountshannon, Parteen, Edenvale and Darragh. All of the victims were drivers or passengers except for one pedestrian who died in a collision on the N68 near Darragh in November.
Assistant Commissioner Dave Sheehan said: “Roads policing will remain a strategic priority for An Garda Síochána in 2020. Furthermore, two significant developments will happen to ensure that high levels of visible, effective road safety enforcement is achieved. Firstly, an additional 180 Gardaí have been selected to be assigned to roads policing duties in early 2020.
Secondly, the roll out of the new mobility app will be stepped up so that by the end of 2020 there will be in excess of 4,000 devices in the hands of front line Gardaí. The new mobility app will revolutionise the way roads policing is carried out in this country. Both additional front line Garda resources and the greater enforcement capability of the mobility app will increase enforcement activity and help in reversing this year’s increase and achieving the road safety target.”
Ms. Liz O’Donnell, Chairperson, RSA, said “After recording the safest year on our roads in 2018 it is deeply saddening that not only have we lost 148 lives on the road in 2019, but that it represents an increase in road deaths. We must respond to this increase the same way we have responded to previous setbacks. Rather than being disheartened it should spur us and our road safety partners into renewed effort. 2020 is also the final year of the Government’s eight year road safety strategy.
Its primary target is to reduce deaths to 124 or fewer by the end of 2020. Deeper collaboration between all agencies responsible for road safety is already taking place to ensure everything that can be done is being done, not only to reverse the increase in deaths this year, but to achieve the strategy target. And it is a target that is very achievable, put simply it means saving two more lives a month, every month next year. Something we should all work together to do in 2020.”