A new road safety strategy is seeking to cut the number of deaths on Irish roads by 50% over the next ten years. According to a report by The Journal, The Road Safety Strategy 2021-2030 is a new plan from the Department of Transport that aims to halve the number of deaths and serious injuries on Irish roads by the end of the decade by introducing new safety measures.
The 50% reduction would mean reducing deaths on Irish roads from 144 annually to 72 or lower, and reducing serious injuries from 1,259 annually to 630 or lower.
The plan includes establishing establish a new working group on the setting of speed limits, with a specific consideration for the introduction of a 30km/h default speed limit in urban areas. Review of penalties for offences such as impaired driving, speeding, mobile phone use and not wearing a seatbelt will also be reviewed.
Safe cycling and walking also find proper consideration in the plan.
“At the heart of this Road Safety Strategy is change. How we use our roads is changing. So how we understand and think about road safety needs to change.” Minister for State at the Department of Transport Hildegarde Naughten said while launching the plan.
“The core of the strategy is not about words or numbers on a page, but about saving lives and preventing injuries.” he said.
“It is ambitious. That is why we have set a target of reducing the number of deaths and serious injuries by half by 2030,” said Minister for Transport Eamon Ryan. He also said that the plan is the starting of an ambitious project which aims zero road deaths by 2050.
The project will be carried out in three phases, with the first phase taking place from 2021 to 2024. A projected €3.8 Billion investment is to be made for the first phase of the project. The first phase will aim the road deaths to be reduced to 15%.