Gardaí appeal to drivers to remember vulnerable road users as children return to school

Gardaí have appealed to drivers to take extra caution on roads as children return to school, with younger people aged between 6 and 20 accounting for one in five deaths on roads so far in 2023.

Already this year there have been 127 Deaths on Irish roads. 
 
This is 24 more than the same period 2022 and 36 more than the same period 2019.
 
1 in 5 - 27 in total - of all deaths to date in 2023 on Irish Roads were younger persons aged between 6 and 20.
 
"All road users will be aware of the increased traffic on our roads this week as our primary and secondary schools across the country have returned full time," a garda spokesperson said.
 
"An Garda Síochána want to take the opportunity to raise awareness that this increase in traffic is not just an increase in vehicles.
 
"There is an increase in our younger people, schoolchildren, hopefully walking and cycling to schools," the garda spokesperson said.
 
They reminded people that school traffic wardens and junior traffic wardens are back on our roads keeping children and parents safe as they cross roads on their journeys to and from school.
 
"School buses have returned to our roads and will be stopping at different locations along their route to pick up and set down children, An Garda Síochána appeal to all drivers to be patient, be careful if overtaking a stopped school bus, there may likely be children trying to cross the road," the garda spokesperson said. 
 
"Today is an opportunity for all road users to reflect and remember this increase in vulnerable road users on our roads.
 
"An Garda Síochána is appealing to all drivers, whether using your vehicle for a personal journey, commuting to work or driving for work, to play their part in making our roads safer," the spokesperson said. 
 
The World Health Organisation (2017) estimated that a 5% reduction in average speed could result in a 30% reduction in fatal collisions, and therefore reducing every motorists’ speed is essential to improving safety on our roads.
 
A pedestrian or cyclist involved in a Road Traffic Collision with a vehicle travelling at 50 km/h has a 50% chance of living - A pedestrian or cyclist involved in a Road Traffic Collision with a vehicle travelling at 60 km/h has only a 10% chance of living.
 
"An Garda Síochána also appeals to all parents who are driving to drop and collect their children to school to park legally in the vicinity of schools, do not block pedestrian crossings and do not park blocking the visibility along the road.  Do not drop children from a car while sitting queuing in traffic," the garda spokesperson said. 

The appeal comes as it emerged that there will be a major change to road speed limits around the country, with reductions planned on national routes from 100km to 80km per hour and a reduction to 30km per hour in urban areas.