Following the ‘World Day of Remembrance for Road Traffic Victims’ yesterday, where road safety groups called on road-users throughout the island of Ireland to remember those who have tragically died on the road and to also think of their families, the numbers being killed continues to rise.
A total of 38,787 people have been recorded as killed on roads on the island of Ireland. Of those, 23,948 people have been killed on roads in the Republic of Ireland since records began in 1959. 14,839 people have been killed on roads in Northern Ireland since deaths were first recorded in 1931.
Tragically more lives have been lost on our roads this year compared to last year which is indeed a very worrying development. I believe that enough isn’t being done by the current Irish Government and the Northern Ireland Assembly to challenge the efforts of road safety groups about the current rise in road deaths on the island of Ireland. Is it policy failures or enforcement failures?
The great work done by those in the emergency services and medical professionals, on both sides of the border was acknowledged, who have to deal with the aftermath and consequences of collisions. We will be thinking of them too on Sunday and the life-saving work that they do.”
Those that use our roads are also being asked to commit to being good road users by making their pledge at www.ShareTheRoadToZero.com
Day of Remembrance for Road Traffic Victims
The Day of Remembrance for Road Traffic Victims was first held in 1993 in the United Kingdom and organised since then by non-governmental organizations in a number of countries. It was created as a means to give recognition to victims of road traffic crashes and the plight of their loved ones who must cope with the emotional and practical consequences of these events.
On 26 October 2005, the United Nations adopted a resolution which calls for governments to mark the third Sunday in November each year as World Day of Remembrance for Road Traffic Victims. Observation of this day provides an opportunity to draw the public’s attention to road traffic crashes, their consequences and costs, and the measures which can be taken to prevent them. The day also provides an opportunity to remind governments and society of their responsibility to make roads safer.
The RSA, along with members of An Garda Síochána, Road Safety Officers in local authorities, the emergency services and road safety support groups organised masses, services and commemorative events around the country yesterday. These were to remember the lives that have been lost and changed forever on our roads.