Curbing road deaths in county a major achievement

One of the most significant achievements in County Meath over the past number of years has surely been the dramatic reduction in road deaths. From the uncomfortable position of being one of the worst counties in the country in terms of the number of fatalities during the 1990s and the early part of the past decade, in 2012 this county stands out as a shining example of how a partnership approach has helped cut the loss of life on local roads through a number of inititiatives. Road deaths in Meath have dropped from 30 in 2005 to six in 2010 - and to just four in 2011. Much of the credit has gone to Meath County Council which was the recipient last year of a 'Leading Light In Road Safety' award from the Road Safety Authority (RSA), which recognises a public body which has committed to promoting road safety and which has made a significant contribution to road safety in its community. Meath County Council uses four planks as part of its safety strategy - engineering, education, enforcement and evaluation - which has contributed to improving road safety and reducing the numbers of people killed and injured on local roads. The council has produced two road safety plans, the most recent from 2010 to 2012. The local authority regularly comes in for criticism from many quarters on a range of issues, some of it merited, but its efforts in recent years in curbing the number of road fatalities that have blighted this county for years deserves special commendation. Since 2005, the county council has been working in partnership with key stakeholders such as the gardaí, the HSE, the NRA, the Department of Transport and councillors to develop and implement road safety plans which have contributed to an 80 per cent reduction in the number of fatalities on the county's roads. In 2005, 30 people lost their lives on Meath's roads and this number fell to six people in 2010, and four this past year. The number of serious injuries has also fallen significantly over the period. This programme began in 2005, which was something of a watershed year as far as road safety in Meath is concerned. It was one of the worst for many years on local roads and will be remembered as the year the Navan bus crash tragedy occurred. These grim statistics acted as a catalyst for the council and other agencies tasked with road safety to begin to seriously tackle an issue which has robbed many local families of loved ones over the years. Undoubtedly, changes in national policy has helped lay the foundations for safer roads, such as the deployment of speed cameras and introduction of random and mandatory breath testing coupled with a more visible garda presence on roads. In addition, the new motorway network has also had major safety benefits by removing conflicting traffic from single-lane carriageways. Indeed, the success of the road safety measures in Meath are particularly noteworthy given that there are four main road arteries running though the county. In terms of engineering initiatives, council engineers have worked to eliminate accident blackspots and improve pedestrian safety. Under the plan, the council has pledged to tackle three accident locations per year, but has been exceeding that figure. In 2011, for example, more than 20 new pedestrian crossings were installed and public lighting erected at places such as Nobber, Trim, Carlanstown and Slane. Additionally, three accident locations at Carlanstown, Athboy and Stamullen were subject to safety improvements. Education has also been to the fore with road safety programmes delivered to tens of thousands of people throughout the county. Continuous evaluation of existing road safety plans means the council remains responsive to improving its road safety plan, and enforcement has focused on issues such as illegal parking, halting the roadside sale of cars and illegal advertising signage. The drop in fatalities in the county mirrors the trend in the country in general, where the number of road fatalities has fallen for the sixth consecutive year and gone below 200 for the first time since road deaths were first recorded in 1959. While the Meath Road Safety Plan has been a major factor in reducing the number of accidents and generally making people more aware of safety on the roads, a reported planned reduction in the number of Garda Traffic Corps officers is not welcome news and it is crucial that any such plan does not impact on the huge strides made, given that garda enforcement of road traffic laws plays such a vital part in saving lives.