As children across the country prepare to return to school this week, Irish drivers, road users and parents are being asked to take extra care and prioritise road safety. This follows a new Road Safety Authority (RSA) report highlighting the dangers faced by children when using Ireland’s roads.
38 children under the age of 16 have been killed on Irish roads in the past five years, according to the RSA’s recently released Child Casualties Report 2021-2025. With 620 children suffering serious injury during the same period. With children in the 0-15 age group accounting for 5% of all road fatalities and 8% of all serious injuries between 2021-2025.
The data is a stark reminder of the risks faced by some of Ireland’s most vulnerable road users, with the RSA report highlighting:
- Almost half (48%) of child casualties were pedestrians, while 26% were passengers and 17% were cyclists.
- Seven in ten (72%) child casualties were injured on roads with a speed limit of 60km/h or less.
- Almost two-thirds (64%) of children seriously injured were aged between 10 and 15, while 55% of children killed were in this age group.
- Seven in ten child casualties were injured between 12pm and 8pm.
- For pedestrian and cyclist child casualties, the most frequent collision type was a collision with a car.
- Dublin has the highest instance of child casualties accounting for 32%, followed by Cork with 9%. In Dublin, 66% of children killed or seriously injured were pedestrians.
- Boys are more likely than girls to be killed or injured, with boys accounting for 61% of casualties.
With back to school approaching, the RSA are now reminding drivers that this usually brings a significant increase in traffic, as well as more children out walking and cycling. All drivers are encouraged to practice caution when approaching school zones. And to remember to slow down, allow extra time in their commute and never park in a place that blocks the school warden’s view.
Parents are also being asked not to park on footpaths when dropping or collecting kids from school, as vehicles parked on footpaths can obstruct pedestrians, forcing children and other vulnerable road users into the road. Parents should also ensure that children are properly restrained in a car seat suitable for their age and weight while travelling in a car at all times.
Source: Child Casualties Report 2021-2025
The Child Casualties Report 2021-2025 was prepared by the RSA using data from the Irish Road Traffic Collision Database and collision records transferred from An Garda Síochána to the RSA.