DONEGAL is one of the
worst counties in Ireland for road deaths with 120
people killed here in a five-year period, new
statistics show.
The figures, supplied for the first time by the Road
Safety Authority, show there were 23 people killed
on Donegal roads in 2003; 29 in 2004; 27 in 2005, 19
in 2006 and 22 in 2007. Road deaths in Inishowen
feature prominently in the figures following a spate
of tragic multiple-fatality crashes that shocked the
entire country.
The league table also shows that 348 people
sufferred serious injury due to road accidents in
Donegal in the five-year period.
The analysis of road accidents from 2003-2007 also
shows that drivers in rural counties such as Donegal
are more likely to be killed in crashes. This is
despite the bigger populations in the larger towns
and cities. Longford is the most dangerous county in
Ireland for road deaths with Cavan, Monaghan and
Westmeath also faring badly.
A culture of 'boy-racing' particularly in border
counties including Donegal is also a contributory
factor to the high accident rate, according to the
RSA study. The organisation also highlighted the
'externalised' reaction to accidents by Irish people
who often blame 'bad roads' or 'bad bends' but are
slower to blame bad driver behaviour.
Donegal Road Safety officer Eamonn Brown said there
was a perception that young people "grow out of"
fast driving as they get older. But he warned that
some young people don't get the chance to change
their ways.
Mr Brown also welcomed the reduction in the number
of serious road accidents in the Donegal in the last
two to three years.
Meanwhile, the RSA figures show that nationally,
1,808 people died on Irish roads from 2003 to 2007.
Meanwhile, the organisation called for a national
trauma database to be set up to keep an exact record
of road deaths and injuries in Ireland. |
