Press release
Minister of State Lawless opens inaugural meeting of the Road User Safety Forum
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Minister of State with special responsibility for Road Safety, James Lawless, welcomed the formation of the Road User Safety Forum when he opened its first meeting on Thursday 26th September and is anticipating further progress in upcoming meetings. The Forum has ten members comprising a mix of road users representing different interest and advocacy groups, as well as general road users representing a range of backgrounds and perspectives. Members were selected from a Department of Transport call for expressions of interest in May 2024. The Forum will play a key consultative role in the development of the Action Plan to underpin Phase 2 of the Government’s Road Safety Strategy 2021-2030.
At its first meeting, the Forum discussed Irish road safety research and recent trends, and the priorities of Forum members in terms of the Phase 2 Action Plan. Key issues raised by the Forum included the importance of enforcement of road traffic legislation, the need for data-led education and awareness campaigns, and the opportunities that modal shift provides to improve road safety outcomes. These themes will be further explored and developed at future meetings of the Forum.
It is expected that the Forum will meet on three more occasions across the remainder of 2024 and early 2025, culminating in the adoption of the Phase 2 Action Plan. Phase 2 will encompass the middle period of the current Strategy, from 2025 to 2027.
Speaking following the first meeting of the Forum, Minister Lawless commented:
“I am very pleased to have opened the first meeting of the new Road User Safety Forum and meet with its members. Since taking up my current role, I have had the opportunity to meet with many dedicated road safety advocates and hear their ideas for what we can do better. These ideas are a valuable contribution to the development of Government policy and legislation, and the Forum represents a formal mechanism for a wide range of perspectives to inform the Phase 2 Action Plan. I would like to express my sincere gratitude to the members for accepting a place on the Forum, and I look forward to hearing their contributions in the months ahead.”
Following the selection process, ten people were appointed as members of the Forum:
Road Safety Strategy 2021-2030
The Government’s Road Safety Strategy 2021-2030 was published in December 2021. Aligned with European Union objectives, the Strategy aims to reduce serious injuries and fatalities on Irish roads by 50 per cent this decade, compared to the annual average from 2017 to 2019, and to put Ireland on the pathway to achieving Vision Zero by 2050. Vision Zero is the aspiration to have as close as possible to no road traffic fatalities or serious injuries.
The Strategy is divided into three implementation phases:
The Strategy is currently in Phase 1, which runs until the end of 2024, with close to 200 actions underway or already completed.
Work is underway on developing Phase 2 Action Plan 2025-2027 with formal adoption of a draft action plan anticipated in early 2025.
Road User Safety Forum Selection Process
The selection process sought to ensure that a broad mix of perspectives are represented on the Forum. Representatives were sought with skills and experience in the following areas: