Liz O’Donnell
Chairperson, Road Safety Authority
Sam Waide
Chief Executive Officer, RSA
Keeping children safe on the road — discover the insights on serious injuries and road casualties among the youngest road users in Ireland.
Our roads get busier as we move into autumn with back-to-school drop-offs and collections from schools, creches or childminders, students heading to college and commuters heading to work. Everyone who shares the road each day has a collective responsibility to look after each other, and, in particular, looking after some of our most vulnerable road users: children.
In the last five years, 34 children aged 0–15 years have tragically lost their lives on our roads while another 592 were seriously injured. These figures are highlighted in the recently published Road Safety Authority’s Child Casualties Report 2019–2023, and here are some further insights from it:
Large proportions were pedestrians and cyclists
Out of the 626 children who were killed or seriously injured, almost half (49%) were pedestrians, and nearly a fifth (19%) were cyclists. This underscores the importance of ensuring our children are well-equipped with the knowledge to navigate footpaths, cycle on our roads safely and wear reflective gear.
It is also crucially important that drivers are vigilant for children out walking and cycling and that people who cycle always wear a helmet.
Danger of urban and rural roads
Children were more likely to be injured on an urban road. Notably, 69% of injuries occurred on urban roads with speed limits of 60 km/h or less, emphasising the need for vigilance in built-up and busy areas.
Making sure children understand how to safely cross the road and the dangers of playing near roads is vital.
Most dangerous times and days
Our children’s daily routines play a role in their safety. According to the report, children are most likely to be injured in the afternoons and evenings, with 72% of injuries occurring between 12 pm and 8 pm. When it comes to days of the week, Friday was the day which saw the greatest proportion of children seriously injured, with 17% occurring on this day.
Child casualties by gender
Another concerning trend in the RSA report to highlight is the gender disparity in child casualties. Significantly more male children have been injured than female children, with the former representing 63% of casualties over the five-year period.
Road safety education
Liz O’Donnell, chairperson of the RSA, says: “Teaching children at an early age about the importance of road safety is so important. Making sure children understand how to safely cross the road, and the dangers of playing near roads, is vital.”
Ensuring children have the proper safety gear like helmets, reflective clothing and lights for their bicycles and scooters is a great first step. If your child has an e-scooter, they need to be over 16 years of age to use it and obey the speed limit of 20km/h. Most importantly, set an example — children learn by watching, so make sure you follow the road safety rules yourself, whether you are walking, cycling or driving.
Sam Waide, chief executive of the RSA, adds: “Over the past few weeks, we have all witnessed a significant increase in traffic as the country returns to school and work routines. I am reminding drivers to slow down and to be aware of children on their way to school, walking or cycling.”
It is also important to remind school staff of the RSA’s Back to School guidelines for improving road safety around schools. These are available on RSA.ie. Road safety is everyone’s responsibility, and by working together across our communities, we can create safer environments for children. We must all play our part.
Visit RSA.ie for RSA’s guidelines for Improving Road Safety around Schools
