Louth sees fall in number of road deaths in 2018

Six people lost their lives on roads in Louth in 2018, according to provisional data released by the Road Safety Authority(RSA) this week.

This is a fall from 2017, when ten people lost their lives on Louth roads.

In Monaghan, two people were killed on roads in the county, a decrease from eight in 2017.

Commenting following the release of the figures, Ms Liz O’Donnell, Chairperson of the RSA said:

“2018 saw the introduction of very important road safety legislation. If motorists comply with these new provisions it will translate into lives saved and injuries prevented.

"Garda Roads Policing numbers increased in 2018, and there is a commitment from An Garda Síochána to further increase numbers in 2019 to meet original targets. 

"This will mean that those who don’t comply with these new provisions and other road traffic laws can expect to be detected and face the consequences of their actions.”

Ms. O’Donnell also called for funding to be provided to An Garda Síochána to enable the national roll out of new smartphone and in-vehicle technology, commonly referred to as the Garda Mobility Project, which allows individual gardai check the licence and insurance status of drivers at the roadside.

“This technology facilitates the identification of a range of offences at the road side, in particular disqualified drivers, unaccompanied learner drivers and those driving uninsured. The introduction of this mobile technology will revolutionise road traffic policing and needs to be given the highest priority in 2019.”