One-third want reduced speed limits as people call for better road network
More than four out of 10 people want to see better roads and a better road network to help improve road safety, new data has found.
Nearly 25% of people also said there should be better signage on Irish roads.
The results were published by the Central Statistics Office (CSO) on Friday.
The CSO also found that more than one third of people felt that there is a need to reduce speed to improve road safety, while more than one quarter felt that there should be more appropriate speed limits to the type of road/motorway.
Close to four in 10 felt that there should be better education in schools on road safety, including the use of refresher training and the extension of the novice driving period.
The CSO data shows that nearly two thirds of road traffic collisions in 2021 involved a car with another car, down almost 3% on the same period in 2019.
Less than six in 10 road traffic collisions were reported to An Garda Síochána or an insurance company in 2021.
In one in six road traffic collisions, the respondent sustained injuries, while for just one in 15 collisions other persons suffered an injury.
Statistician Maureen Delamere said: “When this survey was carried out, there were still varying levels of Covid-19 in the community, with related restrictions in place.
“Respondents were asked how road safety could be improved.
“Better roads and a better road network were identified as the most popular factors in improving road safety – identified by over four in 10 respondents, followed by better education on road safety in our schools and colleges, including the use of refresher training and the extension of the novice driving period.
“Over one third of respondents felt that measures such as reduce speed limit in built-up areas, more speed cameras and check points need to be introduced to reduce speed on our roads, while three in 10 said that there should be tougher sanctions for speeding and other offences such as for driving under the influence of drink/drugs, road worthiness of vehicles.”
“More cycleways and pedestrian routes, reducing traffic and more pedestrian zones in towns and cities was particularly voiced by people living in densely populated areas compared to three in 10 for people living in thinly populated areas.
“Looking at the results by region, we can see that close to one third of people in Dublin cited better roads as something to improve on, compared to almost half of those living outside Dublin.
“Over one third felt that there needs to be more cycleways and pedestrian routes, with persons in Dublin noting this less than those living outside Dublin.
“Despite the pandemic, with reduced traffic on our roads, the incidence of road collisions remains at 3% of respondents interviewed, as in 2019.
“Nearly two thirds of these collisions involved a car with another car, while one in 12 were single vehicle collisions with no other person involved.
“One in 20 (5%) young men aged 18 to 29 years were involved in one road traffic collision in 2021, compared with 4% in 2019.”
While young men report a higher rate of road collisions than young woman (3%), overall, more woman (3%) report being involved in a road collision than men.