There has been a remarkable transformation in safety on Irish roads in recent decades. Between 2006 and 2021, the number of annual road deaths fell from 365 to 132. This reduction was achieved despite the number of vehicles on our roads increasing significantly in the same period.
Reducing speed has been fundamentally proven to significantly reduce the risk of death or serious injury in road collisions. The World Health Organisation has estimated that a 5% reduction in average speed could result in a 30% reduction in fatal collisions. Furthermore, the evidence shows that 50% of pedestrians struck by a vehicle travelling at 60km/h will be killed, compared to 29% of pedestrians struck by a vehicle travelling at 50km/h and 5% of pedestrians struck by a vehicle travelling at 30km/h.
For research on safe speeds from the RSA, visit - Road safety reports from the Road Safety Authority (RSA)