Opinion: Is it time to take different approaches to road safety? By Dr Sarah Rock
Analysis: The grim numbers of deaths and injuries show current planning approaches to the issue are not working, especially in our towns and cities
It was a bleak 2024 on Irish roads, with 174 lives lost over the course of the year. That’s many loved-ones as each of those people were also a daughter, son, mother, father or friend. Most deaths on the roads in Ireland happen in rural areas, but there is another trauma that we rarely talk about – all the people who are left with serious and life changing injuries as a result of a collision on our roads and streets. The majority of these actually take place on urban roads in our villages, towns and cities.
You might be surprised to know that there are at least 10 more people left with serious injuries for every person whose life is cut short on the roads in Ireland. Research by the Road Safety Authority (RSA) shows this is likely to be significantly higher due to under-reporting. To put a 'conservative’ figure on it, that’s at least 1,740 children, young people and adults left with injuries that are serious and life changing during 2024 alone.
These numbers are estimated as it takes the public a long time to get access to this data in Ireland. The latest figures, from 2022, shows that 2,344 people were hospitalised with their injuries in that one year. However, our citizens do not know what has happened, why or where our problems really lie. This data gap has rightly been questioned. Without this information in a timely fashion, the scale of suffering on our roads lingers under the radar, and the leadership that it will take to solve it remains largely dormant.
Despite the lack of detailed data, recent research by the RSA provide telling clues that we also have a problem needing attention in our towns and cities. Indications are that the simple and everyday act of walking is becoming increasingly dangerous, with children under 14 years and adults over 65 suffering in the greatest numbers.
Garda data shows 89% of pedestrians are injured on urban roads, and 76% of these by car drivers and another 9% by light goods vehicle drivers (such as vans and pick-up trucks). While excessive speeds, driving under the influence of drugs or alcohol and distracted driving are key causes for collisions, there is a more recent development that also shouldn’t be ignored - our increasing love affair with large vehicles, including over-sized SUVs and American style ‘pick-up’ trucks.
While the occupants of these super-sized vehicles might be safer, everyone else is put in more danger. In fact, a walker or person on their bicycle has a nearly 200% increased risk of dying if hit by a pick-up truck than a car, and a car occupant has a 50% increased risk of death.
A city that is safe and comfortable for pedestrians and those on bicycles is a city that is safe for all road users. In a similar vein, a city that is unsafe for pedestrians and cyclists is a city that is unsafe for all road users. A number of towns and cities across Europe have shifted their focus to the pedestrian first, followed by those on bicycles. They have not only seen reductions in road trauma, but they have also regenerated and restored life and vitality to their town centres.
We might be tempted to think that what works in Spain or Finland or Germany won’t work in Cork or in Kilkenny. There will likely be some differences that need to be accounted for, but people are people - and human nature pervades everywhere. We are social beings and it is the psychology of the design of our roads and streets and how people interact and behave on them that transcends all borders.
Some of the biggest reductions in road trauma across all road users are seen in environments that support decreases in vehicle speeds and volumes, coupled with making the walking environment safe and enjoyable. Pontevedra is a small rainy city about the same size of Waterford in North-West Spain. It has achieved what many in Ireland would think impossible: no road deaths since 2012 and a dramatic reduction in serious injuries.
Roads have been reconfigured so that footpaths are wide, zebra crossings are everywhere and traffic lights give plenty of time to cross. Speed limits are low and enforced. In many parts of the city, it’s actually the pedestrian not the driver who has the right-of-way. Local police and politicians play a key role in championing public acceptance which evolves into behavioural change that impacts upon all road users and creates a new norm. For anyone that spends time there, it is clear that this small vibrant city is doing well for itself. Above all, quality of life and a culture of mutual respect on the roads leads the way.
For bigger cities, such as Oslo, Helsinki and even the notoriously car-dominated Brussels, where the issues are more complex, this holistic quality of life approach is also taking central stage. It combines expanding pedestrian spaces with safe cycling networks and streets that work well for public transport. 30km/hr or less speed zones are key.
These are difficult to introduce, but acceptance generally follows once the measures are in place and enforced. Traffic levels are reduced and the social aspect of street designs are emphasised. It’s not just about moving through a place as fast as possible – it’s also about spending time, enjoying oneself, and contributing to the local economy. Simultaneously, road safety starts to improve.
Some important changes are on the horizon for Irish towns and cities that will help, most notably the default 30km/hr urban speed limit. But this alone will not be enough. Our grim road statistics show that we have an issue with our current approaches to road safety. Change is clearly needed, and fast, but is rarely easy. This can only happen with leadership – most especially political leadership.
There is an opportunity now for change. While a lot of work has already taken place, a new Government taking office is a time to accelerate the transformations that are necessary to remove trauma from our roads - both urban and rural. Perhaps it’s time to learn from these different approaches to road safety? Whatever we do, it’s clear that now is the time to make road safety a priority again.
Dr Sarah Rock is a lecturer in urban design and transport planning and Programme Director for the MSc in Urban Regeneration and Development at TU Dublin.
The views expressed here are those of the author and do not represent or reflect the views of TU Dublin. This article was originally published on RTÉ Brainstorm.