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2009 Road Death Statistics

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  • 28-02-2009 2:46pm
    #1
    AugustusMaximus
    Closed Accounts Posts: 1,044 ✭✭✭


    So, what the hell is going on this year ?

    For a start the Garda website has changed and now you have to go through an awful rigmarole to get to the statistics you want. Why ?

    The big stat though is that year to date so far, we've had 30 deaths. That's in comparison to last year to this date when we had 53 deaths. There's also the possibility to see the first single digit death total in one month (Feb currently stands at only 9 deaths)

    I would imagine that this year so far has prob seen more ice on the roads. Yes, a few new sections of road have been opened but that hardly explains the fall.

    Also, with the recession, I find it amazing how road deaths suddenly aren't the flavour of the week anymore on RTE news. In fact, between this and global warming, no one seems to care anymore. Certainly Gaybo has been flung into the wilderness.


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    #2
    T Corolla
    Closed Accounts Posts: 611 ✭✭✭T Corolla


    I dont whether you are a motorist but the Gardai have been showing a presence on the roads alot in the midlands. I have met them at least twice on the roads in the last week. I am glad to see this as there is far too much bad behaviour on the roads. I have though of a new government "levy" everyone under 30 has to repeat there driving test !!


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    #3
    L1011
    Moderators, Business & Finance Moderators, Motoring & Transport Moderators, Society & Culture Moderators Posts: 67,891 Mod ✭✭✭✭L1011


    T Corolla wrote: »
    I have though of a new government "levy" everyone under 30 has to repeat there driving test !!

    People who, at most, did the test 13 years ago having to repeat when there are drivers who last did it 50 years ago and would fail horiffically not covered by your plan... thats going to work...


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    #4
    thebman
    Closed Accounts Posts: 10,012 ✭✭✭✭thebman


    Yeah that isn't ageist, well done there.

    I've thought of a levy, one light out or overly large exhausts that cause excessive noise pollution result in a large fine.

    Its good they are down but the media isn't focusing on it because they have jucier stories. Its good that its down though. I guess some of the reason why it might be done is less drivers on the road with higher unemployment.


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    #5
    AugustusMaximus
    Closed Accounts Posts: 1,044 ✭✭✭AugustusMaximus


    MYOB wrote: »
    People who, at most, did the test 13 years ago having to repeat when there are drivers who last did it 50 years ago and would fail horiffically not covered by your plan... thats going to work...

    Drivers from 50 years ago wouldn't have done any test and most likely would never have taken a driving lesson from an instructor in their lives.


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    #6
    thebman
    Closed Accounts Posts: 10,012 ✭✭✭✭thebman


    My guess is that he falls conveniently outside the re-test age group :rolleyes:


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    #7
    SeanW
    Registered Users Posts: 8,776 ✭✭✭SeanW


    T Corolla wrote: »
    I have though of a new government "levy" everyone under 30 has to repeat there driving test !!
    Yeah, lets have more driving tests and suchlike red tape when the government has such a hard time with the existing driver testing service ... that would really work. Then again the RSA is actually looking at doing something very similar :(


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    #8
    Capt'n Midnight
    Moderators, Recreation & Hobbies Moderators, Science, Health & Environment Moderators, Technology & Internet Moderators Posts: 90,858 Mod ✭✭✭✭Capt'n Midnight


    AugustusMaximus wrote: »
    Drivers from 50 years ago wouldn't have done any test and most likely would never have taken a driving lesson from an instructor in their lives.
    Make that all drivers from 40 years ago. 1979 was the amnesty year , queues were too long :rolleyes:, so also drivers 30 years ago who never did a test or took a driving license got handed a full license.


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    #9
    [Deleted User]
    Posts: 0 ✭ [Deleted User]


    AugustusMaximus wrote: »
    So, what the hell is going on this year ?

    Several factors I think.
    Crackdown on drink drivers.
    Removal of unaccompanied learners.
    Several major new roads opened since this time last year.
    Reduction of foreign (LHD) cars.
    Reduction in general traffic levels

    Am I correct in thinking that the number of single vehicle accidents has remained unchanged, possibly a few more suicides hidden in that statistic.


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    #10
    delta_bravo
    Registered Users Posts: 4,567 ✭✭✭delta_bravo


    Its excellent to see. Congrats to the Gardai, RSA and road users in general. Until 2008 broke the record for lowest road deaths per annum i believe that the previous lowest year had been in the 1980s and thats when there would have been about 1/2 the amount of vehicles and even a smaller population that there is now. Hopefully this will continue


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    #11
    Mayshine
    Closed Accounts Posts: 510 ✭✭✭Mayshine


    I would wager that the reduction could be mostly attributed to the current recession. It goes without say that the amount of millage covered as a whole would be down substancially as well I would guess as the amount of people drinking at night - and thus the propensity to drink and drive


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    #12
    BrianD
    Closed Accounts Posts: 7,221 ✭✭✭BrianD


    Mayshine wrote: »
    I would wager that the reduction could be mostly attributed to the current recession. It goes without say that the amount of millage covered as a whole would be down substancially as well I would guess as the amount of people drinking at night - and thus the propensity to drink and drive

    I wouldn't agree. Here's the figures for recession 1.0

    1980-564
    1981-572
    1982-533
    1983-535
    1984-465
    1985-410
    1986-387
    1987-462
    1988-463
    1989-460

    Pubs do well in recessionary times. People are not buying big ticket items and thus have more disposable income. Invariable this gets spent in the pub. Even now mortgage rates have gone down, people are shopping in Aldi and petrol has gone down.


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    #13
    Victor
    Registered Users Posts: 78,303 ✭✭✭✭Victor


    AugustusMaximus wrote: »
    The big stat though is that year to date so far, we've had 30 deaths. That's in comparison to last year to this date when we had 53 deaths. There's also the possibility to see the first single digit death total in one month (Feb currently stands at only 9 deaths)
    There seems to be a typo there, but still much better than previously.

    http://www.garda.ie/Controller.aspx?Page=138

    Jan 17
    Feb 9
    Total 30
    BrianD wrote: »
    I wouldn't agree. Here's the figures for recession 1.0

    1980-564
    1981-572
    1982-533
    1983-535
    1984-465
    1985-410
    1986-387
    1987-462
    1988-463
    1989-460
    I added a line there under 1986 - this is when the partnership agreements were starting up and that was the start of the up-turn (well getting out of the hole at least).

    Other factors:
    *High fuel prices over the last few years -> less driving and less hard accelaration and braking.
    *Recession - less driving, but also the rewards of risky behaviour are lower and the costs of an accident harder to bear.
    * Cocaine and other "rich" drugs probably aren't quite as afforable as it was 2-5 years ago.


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    #14
    dereko1969
    Closed Accounts Posts: 842 ✭✭✭dereko1969


    Deleted User wrote: »
    Am I correct in thinking that the number of single vehicle accidents has remained unchanged, possibly a few more suicides hidden in that statistic.

    I'm convinced there are a significant proportion of suicides every year included incorrectly in the traffic death figures. The coroners are not doing us any favours by hiding these figures.


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    #15
    Victor
    Registered Users Posts: 78,303 ✭✭✭✭Victor


    dereko1969 wrote: »
    I'm convinced there are a significant proportion of suicides every year included incorrectly in the traffic death figures. The coroners are not doing us any favours by hiding these figures.
    Actually, the Kildare coroner looked into this. Of about 100 deaths investigated, one might have been a possible suicide.

    Now there might be people out there who think "I don't care if I get killed on the road" as opposed to "I'm going to ram into a tree and kill myself". While neither is thinking right, the first one wouldn't be suicidal as such.
    Updated figures today:

    Jan 18
    Feb 16
    Mar 2
    Total


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    #16
    amacachi
    Closed Accounts Posts: 23,316 ✭✭✭✭amacachi


    You can add at least one to the February total, possibly 2, can't remember when the other kid died.


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    #17
    Judgement Day
    Closed Accounts Posts: 13,549 ✭✭✭✭Judgement Day


    Road death stats have annoyed me for some time now as I think a far more relevant statistic would be the combined numbers either killed or injured. I mean just because somebody is maimed (put into a vegetative state) but just doesn't manage to die means the figures don't register them as a death.

    What I mean is this, say in 2008 4 people are killed on the roads and in 2009 1 person is killed but 3 are maimed it appears that there has been a 75% fall in deaths whereas it has just been luck/medical expertise that has stopped the actual as opposed to the brain death of the individuals concerned. I am not explaining it very well but what I am trying to say is if 4 people are killed in one year and the next year 1 is killed but 3 are effectively killed (i.e.brain dead) where is the improvement?


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    #18
    amacachi
    Closed Accounts Posts: 23,316 ✭✭✭✭amacachi


    Judgement Day wrote: »
    Road death stats have annoyed me for some time now as I think a far more relevant statistic would be the combined numbers either killed or injured. I mean just because somebody is maimed (put into a vegetative state) but just doesn't manage to die means the figures don't register them as a death. :(

    Then again ya have to work out what's a serious injury and what isn't.


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    #19
    Judgement Day
    Closed Accounts Posts: 13,549 ✭✭✭✭Judgement Day


    Ok - so a more indicative state of road traffic injuries/fatalities might be to ignore deaths and just give a total amount of injuries (including deaths) per annum.


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    #20
    seamus
    Registered Users Posts: 68,317 ✭✭✭✭seamus


    Then you're left with the question, "what's an injury?". Should every bumped head or sore muscle be counted? At least you can draw a line with death and get very definitive figures.


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    #21
    Victor
    Registered Users Posts: 78,303 ✭✭✭✭Victor


    Injuries have also been dropping over the last few years, although given there are more of them, it takes longer to assemble all the data.

    See Figure 4 here: http://www.rsa.ie/publication/publication/upload/Collision%20Fact%20Book%202007.pdf


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    #22
    Judgement Day
    Closed Accounts Posts: 13,549 ✭✭✭✭Judgement Day


    Victor wrote: »
    Injuries have also been dropping over the last few years, although given there are more of them, it takes longer to assemble all the data.

    See Figure 4 here: http://www.rsa.ie/publication/publication/upload/Collision%20Fact%20Book%202007.pdf

    Victor - Many thanks. You are a mine of useful information! I have never seen these figures before and they certainly make interesting reading. :)


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