A PERSON has died on Irish roads on average every 32 hours this month despite the unprecedented Covid-19 restrictions on both normal life and work.

The soaring rate of traffic fatalities has prompted both the Road Safety Authority (RSA) and the Gardaí to plead for greater care to be taken on roads.

Safety chiefs are baffled at the scale of the hike given that all indications are that normal traffic volumes have been massively reduced by the closure of schools, colleges and childcare facilities as well as tens of thousands of workers being urged to work from home because of the coronavirus crisis.

However, anecdotal evidence is that there has been a significant increase in leisure travel - with a huge increase in the number of people walking, cycling and also driving to parks and coastal beauty spots for exercise.

Both increases are directly linked to the retrictions imposed by the Covid-19 crackdown. Gardaí and the RSA urged people to take greater care on the roads - to slow down and to be conscious of other road users including pedestrians and cyclists.

"One death on Irish roads is one death too many," one garda source warned. "It is also worth remembering that the number of people who have died on Irish roads this year is roughly ten times the number of people that have died so far from the coronavirus."

Road safety chiefs are studying the fatality figures amid indications a significant number of fatal accidents involved people aged 65 years and older.

A total of 18 people have died on Irish roads so far this month. It brings to 47 the total number of people to have died in traffic accidents so far this year.

That is nine deaths more than for the same period in 2019 (38) - an alarming increase of 24pc. The fatal accidents are broken down as motorist (20), pedestrians (14), passengers (8), motorcyclists (4) and cyclists (1).

RSA boss Moyagh Murdock urged everyone to take greater care on Irish roads. "We are urging all road users - particularly motorists and drivers of large vehicles - to make sure they slow down, allow a safe passing distance and be safe out there," she said.

"Research on serious road collisions between 2014 and 2017 found that 50pc of those who suffered serious injuries were vulnerable road users."

"Such figures are stark reminders to all road users to take care - to drivers we urge you to turn on your dipped headlights during the day so they can be clearly seen and to slow down to give yourself time to react when meeting other road users."

"We also urge cyclists and pedestrians to wear reflective material such as a high-visibility vest, particularly on unlit rural roads.”

Online Editors