Eight people died on the roads of the Republic while cycling
last year; one less death than the nine cycling fatalities recorded in 2018.
While the eight lost lives in 2019 was obviously eight
too many, the number of cycling deaths now taking place in the Republic is
close to the lowest range seen for 30 years.
The vast majority of cyclists who have lost their lives
in the past three decades have been killed due to crashes with drivers in
vehicles.
In some years all cycling deaths resulted from crashes
with drivers in vehicles.
The lowest number of cyclists killed in the Republic
since 1990 was recorded in 2010 and 2013, with five cyclists dying in each of
those years.
After the low of 2013, cycling deaths jumped to 12 in 2014 before dropping to nine in 2015 and increasing slightly again in 2016, when 10 people were killed cycling.
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The numbers were up again in 2017, when 15 people were
killed while cycling before falling to nine in 2018 and eight in 2019.
This compares to a cycling fatality rate as high as 46
deaths back in 1990 followed by 40 in 1991 and 35 cycling fatalities in 1992 –
see graph above.
- In the 10-year period from 1990 to 1999, exactly 280 cyclists died on the roads.
- Over the next 10 years, from 2000 to 2009, there were 116 cycling fatalities.
- And in the next 10 years – from 2010 to the end of just concluded 2019 – some 90 cyclists died.
- That’s an average of 28 people dying cycling per year in the 1990s, just under 12 cyclist deaths per year in the 2000s, and 9 people dying cycling per year in the decade that has just ended.
However, the
fatality numbers obviously do not record the number of cyclists seriously
injured, some of whom sustain life-changing injuries, each year.
And the significantly lower number of fatalities now compared to the 1990s is likely partly driven by better medical treatment for seriously injured cyclists rather than being a reflection of safer conditions for cyclists.
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The number of drivers parking on cycle lanes around the country remains a serious and dangerous problem and motorists close passing cyclists is also a very frequent danger.
Overall last year
road fatality numbers, for all road users, increased by four per cent. The
number of drivers being killed was significantly higher during 2019, when
pedestrian and cyclist deaths decreased.
There were 81
drivers killed last year compared to 56 driver deaths in 2018. The number of
vehicle passengers killed was 16 last year, down from 20 in 2018.
In 2019 some 16
motorcyclists lost their lives on the roads compared to 15 in 2018.
Minister for
Transport Shane Ross expressed his deepest condolences to the families of those
who died on Ireland’s roads in 2019, adding many people were also seriously
injured.
“Individually, as
ordinary road users, we need to take greater responsibility for our actions
when using the road,” he said.
“We can do this
by slowing down, not driving while impaired through drink, drugs or fatigue, by
not driving while using a phone, by wearing a seatbelt and always sharing the
road more carefully with pedestrians and cyclists.”
Moyagh Murdock,
chief executive of the Road Safety Authority, said in 2020 her agency would
focus on combating “the main killer behaviours” on the roads.
“In particular we
will prioritise the non-wearing of seatbelts and intoxicated driving through
alcohol or drugs,” she said. “We will also focus on promoting the safety of
vulnerable road users.
“Specifically by
raising awareness of the new safe overtaking of cyclists’ law, focusing on
motorcycle safety and commissioning a new pedestrian safety campaign.”
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