The Government has made road safety a key priority and this combined with individual responsibility can help reduce deaths in Galway, that is according to Colm Keaveney TD.
Deputy Keaveney’s comments come following the recent release of figures which show that road deaths in Galway have increased from six in 2010 to 13 in 2011. This increase goes against the overall national trend which shows a year-on-year decrease in road fatalities.
2011 is the first year road deaths nationally have fallen below 200, with 186 people tragically losing their lives on our roads. This is 26 fewer fatalities compared to 212 deaths in 2010, and 52 fewer deaths compared to 2009 when 238 people lost their lives on the roads. Since the Road Safety Strategy 2007 to 2012 was introduced in 2007 road deaths have dropped by 50 per cent. When compared to the year before the introduction of the first road safety strategy in 1998, deaths have fallen by 59 per cent.
Commenting on the figures Deputy Keaveney said: “Our thoughts and prayers are with the devastated families, friends, and communities who have lost loved ones on the roads, and these figures for Galway show that we need to try harder to eradicate unnecessary death and injury on the road.”
