Ireland has been named the winner of the prestigious European Transport Safety Council Road Safety Performance Index award after cutting the number of deaths on the road by more than 30 percent since 2010.
The annual award is presented to a European country that has demonstrated continued progress on road safety combined with a strategic approach to tackling the problem across government.
Ireland was the second safest European Union Member State in 2018, in terms of road mortality and has moved up five places in the ranking of EU countries since 2010 when it held seventh place.
“The achievement of this Road Safety Pin Award is recognition of the ongoing dedication to road safety by many in this country in helping to reduce fatalities and serious injuries on our roads,” said Shane Ross, Ireland’s Minister for Transport Tourism and Sport.
The award recognises the impact of Ireland’s long-term strategic planning to cut road fatalities, regular evaluation and a multi-agency approach to delivery across government. In particular, it highlights the efforts that have been put in place on tackling dangerous speeding, as well as drink-driving.
Since receiving its first PIN award in 2010, Ireland has seen a further 31 percent reduction in road deaths during the period 2010 to 2018 and six percent reduction from 2017 to 2018. This equates to a reduction in road deaths per million population from 47 to 30 in 2018.
Progress in Ireland stands in contrast to the EU as a whole. Numbers killed on EU roads fell by just one percent last year, and by just four percent over the last five years, according to the latest European Transport Safety Council Road Safety Performance Index Annual Report. The report can be downloaded from the ETSC website at: http://www.etsc.eu/pin13
