The loss of 13 lives, five of which were teenagers, on Galway’s roads in 2023 has contributed to the 19 per cent national increase for the year compared to 2022.
A total of 184 people died in 173 collisions in 2023 compared to 155 deaths in 149 collisions in 2022, a rise of 29 deaths in a year.
The figures were published by the Road Safety Authority (RSA ) this week, following an analysis of provisional fatal collision reports from An Garda Síochána. These figures showed a ‘high proportion of male fatalities, a continuation of 2022’s increased level of pedestrian fatalities and a high number of fatalities taking place a night when there is less traffic on roads’.
There has been a general increase in fatalities among all road user groups: drivers (+11 ), passengers (+12 ), motorcyclists (+3 ), pedal cyclists (+1 ), pedestrians (+1 ) and other road users (+1 ).
Tragic year on Galway’s roads
The worst county for road deaths in 2022 was Tipperary (16 ), joint second were Cork (15 ) and Dublin (15 ), followed by Galway (13 ) and Mayo (12 ). The number of deaths on Galway’s roads rose year on year.
Galway made headlines in February and April last year following the tragic deaths of teenagers in two separate incidents, the youngest of which was just 14. Three teenage boys; John Keenan (16 ), Wojciech Panek (17 ) and Christopher Stokes (19 ) lost their lives on February 10, 2023, after the car they were in slipped off Menlo Pier.
On April 10 2023, two teenagers; Kirsty Bohan (14 ) and Lukas Joyce (14 ) lost their lives following a single car collision on the L6127 at Glennagarraun in the Ballyfruit area of Headford. Two other children aged 13 and 14 were injured in the same crash. The 13 year old boy who was driving the car faced a total of five charges and later appeared in court in October, 2023.
The last road death of the year in Galway was that of 21 year old medical student, Cormac Kinsella, who died following a single vehicle collision on December 18, 2023.
‘We must do more’
Liz O’Donnell, Chairperson, RSA said, “It is with great sadness that we acknowledge the tragic loss of life on Ireland’s roads in 2023. We have had a difficult year in road safety. People are carrying huge grief with them; a grief that doesn’t go away and a void that cannot be filled in their lives. Any one life lost is one too many.
“We must do more, and I welcome the proposed introduction of a National Strategy on Camera Based Enforcement which, I understand, will be prioritised in 2024. A National Strategy will ensure a consistent approach to the selection and use of the different forms of camera technologies as well as supporting the development of a roadmap for the rollout of camera-based enforcement and ensuring that enablers such as funding and other critical resources are identified.”
Room for improvement
Chief Superintendent Jane Humphries, Garda National Roads Policing Bureau (GNRPB ), said, “Throughout the past twelve months, Gardaí nationwide have remained focused on detecting those committing the offences known and proven to be leading factors in serious injury and fatal road traffic collisions. This year, Gardaí conducted over 87,700 checkpoints. Some 7,707 people were arrested on suspicion of driving under the influence of an intoxicant. In the region of 200,000 speeding offences were detected, over 5,300 fixed penalty notices were issued for not wearing a seatbelt and more than 18,800 motorists were fined by Gardaí for using their mobile phone.
“These figures demonstrate that, while the majority of road users support our collective work to keep people safe by adhering to the rules of the road, there are still plenty that need to reflect on their driving behaviours. There is room for improvement. As we head into 2024, we must all pay close attention to our collective responsibility to make Irish roads safer and to reduce the number of lives lost and people seriously injured in road traffic collisions.”
