93 children killed or seriously injured on Cork roads between 2014 and 2022
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More than 90 children under the age of 15 were killed or seriously injured on Cork roads between 2014 and 2022, according to new figures from the Road Safety Authority (RSA).
Nationally, the RSA's Child Casualties Report 2014-2022, published on Monday as part of Irish Road Safety Week 2023, found that 56 children lost their lives on Irish roads over the same period, and 852 were seriously injured, of which 93 were in Cork. Nearly one in three of all casualties (30%) were located in Dublin.
Of the national total, just over half (51%) were pedestrians. Almost three in 10 (28%) were passengers in a vehicle, and almost a fifth (18%) were cyclists.
Speaking on Monday afternoon, RSA CEO Sam Waide said the report revealed "concerning trends".
"Children are among our most vulnerable road users, and they are less able to protect themselves from traffic hazards," he said. "They are at a high risk of being injured or killed on our roads."
According to gardaí, so far this year 144 people have been killed on Irish roads, 12 of whom were under the age of 15. In 2022, just five of the 113 people who died on Irish roads were of the same age cohort.
Mr Waide called on road users to exercise "extra caution and responsibility when driving near places where children are likely to be present, such as schools, playgrounds and residential streets.
"The report shows that children cycling or walking in urban areas are at particularly high risk and it is vital that motorists slow down, observe carefully and share the roads safely with children," he said.
The RSA's report also found that just over two-thirds (67%) of child casualties between 2018 and 2022 were injured on urban roads with a speed limit of 60km/h or less.
Mr Waide added that rural roads also involve a risk to children, particularly when they are car passengers.
"Reducing speed, driving without being under the influence of drink or drugs, avoiding driver distraction and using front and rear seatbelts (and child car seats/restraints where required) are vital measures for the road safety of children in Ireland," he said.
"We cannot afford to be complacent or careless when it comes to road safety. We all have a duty to make all our roads as safe as possible for everyone, especially for our children.”
The report was published on Monday to mark RSA Child Safety Day 2023. The RSA says it plans to distribute 40,000 high-visibility vests to pre-schools around the country this week, along with age-appropriate road safety activities which can help support children learning about road safety.
An RSA spokesperson encouraged parents and guardians to ensure children wear high-visibility material when they go out walking or cycling, to ensure they wear a helmet and have working bike lights when they go out cycling, and to ensure the use of seatbelts or appropriate restraints when travelling by car or bus.
The spokesperson said that these important measures can help "keep children as safe as possible on our roads." More information on the initiative can be found on the RSA website.