15 Offaly children killed or seriously injured on roads over nine years

A new Child Casualties Report which focuses on children killed or seriously injured on Irish roads, published by the Road Safety Authority (RSA), reveals that approximately two in three child casualties from 2014 to 2022 were either a pedestrian or a cyclist.

The Child Casualties Report 2014-2022, analysed data from the RSA collision database and is based on collision records transferred from An Garda Síochána to the RSA.

The report is being published as part of Irish Road Safety Week 2023 and showed that 15 children were killed or seriously injured between 2014 and 2022 in Offaly.

Between 2014 and 2022 there were 56 fatalities aged 0-15 years and 852 seriously injured road users, representing 4% of total fatalities and 8% of total serious injuries.

Of those 908 killed or seriously injured children, half (51%) were pedestrians, almost three in ten (28%) were passengers, and almost a fifth (18%) were cyclists.

Speaking on the publication of the Child Casualties Report, Sam Waide, CEO of the RSA, said: “This report reveals children are among our most vulnerable road users, and they are less able to protect themselves from traffic hazards.

"They are at a high risk of being injured or killed on our roads. We are particularly concerned because we have also noted an increase in child fatalities in 2023.

"That is why we must all exercise extra caution and responsibility when driving near places where children are likely to be present, such as schools, playgrounds and residential streets.

"The report shows that children cycling or walking in urban areas are at particularly high risk and it is vital that motorists slow down, observe carefully and share the roads safely with children.

“While the majority of children killed or seriously injured were on urban roads, we must also note that rural roads involve risk, in particular for children as car passengers.

"Reducing speed, driving without being under the influence of drink or drugs, avoiding driver distraction and using front and rear seatbelts (and child car seats/restraints where required) are vital measures for the road safety of children in Ireland.

"We cannot afford to be complacent or careless when it comes to road safety. We all have a duty to make all our roads as safe as possible for everyone, especially for our children.”

‘Child Safety Day’ falls during Irish Road Safety Week and is focussed on educating parents and children on the importance of a number of measures for safe road use by all road users, especially drivers.

To date in 2023, a total of 139 people have been killed on Irish roads. This is an increase of 26 fatalities compared to the same date last year. The number of children aged 0-15 years killed on Irish roads in 2023 to date is 12 compared to 5 in all of 2022.