Cork accounts for 9% of child road casualties, as 55 killed or injured in five years

A total of 9% of child casualties on Irish roads have occurred in Cork, according to statistics released by the Road Safety Authority (RSA).

The RSA Child Casualties Report 2020-2024 revealed that a total of 55 children were killed or seriously injured in Cork during this time period.

Nationally, the report showed that 39 children aged up to 15 years of age lost their lives and a further 584 were seriously injured on Irish roads over the five-year period.

Children in this age group accounted for 5% of all road fatalities and 8% of all serious injuries.

The RSA report also revealed that of the 623 children killed or seriously injured on Irish roads, almost half (49%) were pedestrians, a quarter (25%) were passengers, and almost one fifth (18%) were cyclists.

Stark

Speaking to The Echo, Cork Labour Party councillor Peter Horgan said the figures contained in the RSA report highlight the need for a continued focus on road safety.

“These are stark figures and must propel us as representatives to redouble the efforts on pedestrian safety in Cork city,” he said.

“The slow, anodyne time it is taking to install new pedestrian crossings and pedestrian safety enhancements must be done away with.

“We need speedier rollouts, and temporary crossings to slow down cars and protect pedestrians.”

Speed limits

Similar sentiments were expressed by Green Party councillor Oliver Moran, who said that reducing speed limits through urban areas would play an important role in improving road safety for children.

“The bottom line is that parents don’t feel their children are safe alongside motorists,” he said. 

“That’s impacting children’s freedom and their personal development to be always shepherded around, when they should be safe to enjoy childhood.

“The most immediately impactful thing we can do is to reduce speed limits in urban areas. Seven in 10 children struck by a motorist were on urban streets. The majority of these were walking or cycling at the time.

“Someone struck by a motorist at 30km/h has a 90% chance of survival. Reducing urban speed limits has little impact on motorists’ journey times, but a massive return for the safety of communities.”