The RSA’s latest report, ‘Child Road User Casualties: 1997-2006’, has revealed that seven children were killed and 363 children were injured in Limerick between 1997 to 2006.

As parents and children go back to school for the coming academic year, RSA CEO Noel Brett issued the following advice.

“Demonstrate good road safety behaviour at all times as your child will learn from your example. So if your child walks or cycles to school, take them on the route in advance and make sure they know where they are going.

If they travel by car or bus, make sure they know how important it is to put their seatbelt on at all times,” the RSA boss added.

Mr Brett also had a message for teachers, that they should consider including a road safety lesson from the RSA’s road safety resources in their classes.

“We have a Be Safe’ programme for primary level, which includes the Safe Cross Code. At secondary level we have a new Junior Cycle resource entitled ‘Streetwise’. The new Transition Year programme was piloted in over 40 schools last year and is available to schools from September,” Mr Brett said.

The RSA report showed that Limerick figures accounted for 4% of deaths and 5% of injuries.

Compared to 1997, overall figures from 2006 have shown a 40.7% reduction in the number of children 14-years old and younger killed on our roads, and a 51.5% reduction in the number of children in the same age group that were injured on our roads.

The research also shows that 43% of children killed in the period 1997 to 2006 were pedestrians.

Thirty-five per cent of children killed during this period were passengers in a car and 14% were pedal cyclists.

On a positive note, compared to 1997, there has been a 45.5% decrease in pedestrian fatalities in the 0 to 14 age group in 2006, a 100% decrease in cyclist fatalities and an 18.2% decrease in car passenger fatalities.

Comments (0) »

Show/Hide comment form

Name

Email

Title

Comment

Write the displayed characters

Add Comment