‘My daughter should be alive today’: Campaigner calls for action as 129 lives lost on roads this year
This year has been devastating for road safety with 129 lives lost on our roads so far – plunging families and communities all over Ireland into grief.
In August alone, 25 people lost their lives – including two three year old children, Tom O’Reilly and Rosaleen McDonagh and three Leaving Certificate students Zoey Coffey (18), Nicole ‘Nikki’ Murphy (18), Grace McSweeney (18) and her brother Luke (24) in horror crashes that left the nation in mourning.
And the message is clear that our roads are more dangerous than ever and more people are losing their lives on them.
Tipperary Road Safety Campaigner Alec Lee says there is still not enough enforcement of the rules of the road.
Alec, whose daughter Carol was only 17 when she was killed in a crash in 2020 in Co Tipperary, said the amount of lives lost this year is “shocking and heart-breaking.”
“But it’s about enforcement, enforcement, enforcement. There are not enough checkpoints, cars should be taken off L-Drivers who are driving unaccompanied as their insurance is null and void and they are not experienced enough on their own.
“In general, road safety is despicable,” he said. “Several checkpoints I have seen lately are only for checking that insurance and tax is paid,” he added.
“And now they want to introduce new rules of the road. That’s a knee-jerk reaction.
“Strictly enforce the rules there now from speeding, drink driving, mobile phone use, L-drivers driving unaccompanied etc and that will help eliminate these awful road deaths.
“There are an awful lot of drivers who should not be on the road. Gardai need to be tackling boy and girl racers in souped up, modified cars.
“They [boy and girl racers] are not answerable to anyone and their modified cars are illegal. Their cars should be seized. Increase penalties. Stop the driver before they kill someone.
“My own daughter was killed by a boy racer and she should be alive today. Her life was stolen from her and what I am trying to do is to stop other road deaths,” he said.
According to newly released statistics from An Garda Siochana, since yesterday, 129 people have lost their lives on our roads. This is 25 more than the same period in 2022 and 37 more than in 2019.
One in five (27) of all deaths (to date in 2023) on Irish roads were younger persons aged between 6 and 20.
Lives lost during August on Irish roads
August 4: A male pedestrian, 30s, died after being struck by a car car on R445 Old Dublin Road, Nenagh, Co Tipperary
August 5: 19-year-old Conor McGinley died when the car he was driving collided with a pole in Kerrykeel, Co Donegal. A passenger in the car received non-life threatening injuries.
August 5: Motorcyclist in his 40s killed on the R752 Rathnew, Co Wicklow in collision involving a car.
August 12: Aidan Farrell (56) died after he was hit by a truck on M6, Tullamore, Co Offaly
August 16: Male 20s killed when he fell from a truck during the course of his work in the College Green area of Carlow Town
August 16: Male cyclist killed on the N67 at Baunmore, Co Clare involving a car.
August 17: Andre Ladeiro (8) died in hospital four days after he was struck by a car while cycling in Carrigaline, Co Cork
August 17: Savannah Barry Calvert (14) died in a collision involving a car in Limerick City.
August 19: Gearoid Nicholl (25) was killed when a car he was a passenger in crashed at Ballinacarrig Lower, Rathdrum, Co Wicklow. The male driver, aged in his late teens, received non life-threatening injuries.
August 20: Sifee Dune Boudissa (26) died in a collision involving two e-scooters and a car on the Armagh Road, Dundalk. A second male in his 20s was treated for injuries at the scene and a third male in his 20s was taken to Our Lady of Lourdes Hospital to be treated for serious injuries.
August 21: Pedestrian Liam Hanrahan (83) was killed when he was hit by a HGV at Liberty Square in Thurles.
August 21: A female passenger in her 70s was killed in a two car collision on the N5 in Swinford, Co Mayo. The male driver was seriously injured and taken to Mayo University Hospital. A male driver of the second car was also seriously injured and taken to University Hospital Galway.
August 25: Siblings Luke (24) and Grace McSweeney (18), and friends Zoey Coffey (18) and Nicole (Nikki) Murphy (18) all died when their car struck a wall at a bend on Mountain Road in Clonmel.
August 28: Ciaran Kelly, 46, died in a single vehicle collision at Mullaghatour, Belmont, Co Offaly.
August 28: Motorcyclist in his 40s killed in single vehicle collision on M1/M50 Slip Road, Dublin
August 29: Thomas O’Reilly (45), Bridget O’Reilly (46) and their grandson Tom O’Reilly (3) lost their lives when the car they were travelling in struck a wall at Cashel, Co Tipperary. Tom’s parents in their 20s, front seat passengers were taken to hospital to be treated for serious injuries.
August 30: David Doherty (40s) died following a single vehicle collision at Carrowreagh, Bridge End, Co Donegal.
August 30: Rosaleen McDonagh (3) died after she was knocked down by a car in the residential area of Cosby Avenue, Fairgreen in Portlaoise.
August 30: A teenager (16) died after a fall from a tractor in Tuam, Co Galway.
August 31: Ciaran Briody (23) died following a collision with a bus at Store Street in Dublin city.
Among the other deaths on the roads that left the nation in mourning included Kiea McCann (17) and her best friend Dlava Mohamed (16) who died in a collision on the N54 at Legnakelly, Co Monaghan at the end of July. They were on their way to their Debs ball when the fatal crash occurred.
And with the alarming increase in the number of road fatalities on Irish Roads this year, and in recent months, Operation ‘Slow Down’ has taken on increased urgency and relevance.
The aim of ‘Slow Down day’ was to remind drivers of the dangers of speeding, to increase compliance with speed limits and act as a deterrent to driving at excessive or inappropriate speed.
During the 24-hour period of National Slow Down Day 7am on Monday, September 4 and 7am on Tuesday September 5, 865 drivers were detected, by both Garda members and GoSafe Safety Cameras, travelling in excess of the applicable speed limit.
Each of these 865 drivers will now receive a €160 Fixed Charge Notice in the post and have 3 penalty points applied to their driving licences.
An Garda Síochána continues to appeal to drivers to comply with speed limits in order to reduce the number of speed related collisions, save lives and reduce injuries on our roads.
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References
- ^ Ireland’s most dangerous road with 22 fatal crashes on it since 2017 (www.irishmirror.ie)
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