Cork had 14 road deaths last year, highest in the country
Gardaí Drivers Have To Appealed Slow Down To
Cork had the most road fatalities of any county last year with 14 deaths, 11 of which were in the West Cork division alone.
Cork City Garda division had two road fatalities in 2022, while Cork North had one.
In total, 156 people died on Irish roads last year, a 14% increase (19 more deaths) compared to 2021, according to the Road Safety Authority.
Cork county had the highest number of road fatalities of all counties in 2022 with 14 deaths, followed by Dublin with 13 and Limerick with 10.
An urgent appeal has been issued by gardaí and Cork County Council to slow down and never drive under the influence of alcohol or other drugs.
Two female pedestrians were killed and 10 males died in the Cork West and Cork North Garda divisions last year.
These were two male motorcyclists, one mobility scooter and seven motor vehicle drivers.
The average age of victims in Cork county was 54.5 but ranged in age from those in the 18–35 category to those aged 70+.
Nine fatalities occurred between 7am and 7pm; two people were killed between midnight and 7am; and one person died between 7pm and midnight.
Half of all fatalities in Cork West and Cork North Garda divisions (six of the 12 deaths) involved single-vehicle collisions where the driver was the sole occupant of the vehicle.
Speed is a factor in one third of all fatal collisions in Ireland, Chief Superintendent of Cork West Vincent O’Sullivan said.
He appealed to people to slow down and to remember that the speed limit is not a target.
- Never drive under the influence of alcohol or drugs;
- Always wear a seat belt;
- Never use hand-held mobile phones or electronic devices while driving;
- Don’t ignore the effects of fatigue.
Reducing road traffic collisions will be a major focus for 2023, Chief Supt O'Sullivan said.
Driving while intoxicated detections decreased slightly in the Cork City Garda division, from 274 cases in 2021 to 270 in 2022.
But in Cork North, 330 incidents of driving while intoxicated were detected in 2022 — an increase from 274 the previous year.
In Cork West, detections for driving while intoxicated — an offence which includes alcohol and other drugs — fell to 181 last year from 193 the year before.
Chief Superintendent of Cork City Thomas Myers said that driving a vehicle under the influence of alcohol or other drugs was like wielding a weapon.
Cork city was bucking that national trend, he said, but two people had been tragically killed near Ringaskiddy.