How are more people not killed on our Roads

imme

How is it that multiples of those killed on Ireland's roads not killed every year.

In 2017 158 people were killed on Ireland's roads.

Vehicles are speeding more in urban areas, taking chances that shouldn't be taken, travelling in lanes that they shouldn't be using.

Cyclists are cycling faster than ever, taking chances they shouldn't be taking, cycling on footpaths, cycling without lights or sufficient illumination.

Pedestrians are crossing where they shouldn't be crossing.

How are many more people not killed on Irish roads.

SEPT 23 1989

We can only try our best

gw80

imme wrote: »

How is it that multiples of those killed on Ireland's roads not killed every year.

In 2017 158 people were killed on Ireland's roads.

Vehicles are speeding more in urban areas, taking chances that shouldn't be taken, travelling in lanes that they shouldn't be using.

Cyclists are cycling faster than ever, taking chances they shouldn't be taking, cycling on footpaths, cycling without lights or sufficient illumination.

Pedestrians are crossing where they shouldn't be crossing.

How are many more people not killed on Irish roads.

Luck of the irish?

TallGlass

158 is too many people, 1 is too many.

imme

imme wrote: »

How is it that multiples of those killed on Ireland's roads not killed every year.

In 2017 158 people were killed on Ireland's roads.

Vehicles are speeding more in urban areas, taking chances that shouldn't be taken, travelling in lanes that they shouldn't be using.

Cyclists are cycling faster than ever, taking chances they shouldn't be taking, cycling on footpaths, cycling without lights or sufficient illumination.

Pedestrians are crossing where they shouldn't be crossing.

How are many more people not killed on Irish roads.

Your glass is half-empty.

punisher5112

TallGlass wrote: »

158 is too many people, 1 is too many.

Unfortunately it's never going to be zero as people are stupid and do stupid things.

Unfortunately mistakes are made and this can be as simple as walking out and not looking like many do.

More traffic is probably cutting the number down as less likely to kill as traveling at lower speeds in built up areas at peak times.

ahnowbrowncow

imme wrote: »

How is it that multiples of those killed on Ireland's roads not killed every year.

In 2017 158 people were killed on Ireland's roads.

Vehicles are speeding more in urban areas, taking chances that shouldn't be taken, travelling in lanes that they shouldn't be using.

Cyclists are cycling faster than ever, taking chances they shouldn't be taking, cycling on footpaths, cycling without lights or sufficient illumination.

Pedestrians are crossing where they shouldn't be crossing.

How are many more people not killed on Irish roads.

How do you they're doing these things more than before? People have always made bad decisions.

TheValeyard

SEPT 23 1989 wrote: »

We can only try our best

I'm doing my part!!

TallGlass

punisher5112 wrote: »

Unfortunately it's never going to be zero as people are stupid and do stupid things.

Unfortunately mistakes are made and this can be as simple as walking out and not looking like many do.

More traffic is probably cutting the number down as less likely to kill as traveling at lower speeds in built up areas at peak times.

I agree with what your saying, 158 people is still to many people killed on our road network. What I meant by 1 person, is that 1 person is still family to someone.

Mint Sauce

Beacuse the Go Safe Vans are saving lifes.

:rolleyes:

Samuel T. Cogley

Is it possible that speed isn't the massive danger people have made it out to be and perhaps, just perhaps we'd be better off focusing on people not paying attention to the ones paying attention and doing slightly over the speed limit when driving to the conditions. Personally I'd like to see us follow the UK with 6 points and a €200 fine for phone use behind the wheel.

corner of hells

ahnowbrowncow wrote: »

How do you they're doing these things more than before? People have always made bad decisions.

Did you accidentally a word ?

Giveaway

Peaked at 640 in 1972 and has been declining since despite an extra million in population and probably a tripling of vehicles on the road since.
Due to a combination of better car safety, better roads, better driver behaviour.
Driver behaviour is very good in Ireland. One should try driving in the Phillippines or a southern africa country. that would open your eyes

PauloMN

imme wrote: »

How is it that multiples of those killed on Ireland's roads not killed every year.

In 2017 158 people were killed on Ireland's roads.

Vehicles are speeding more in urban areas, taking chances that shouldn't be taken, travelling in lanes that they shouldn't be using.

Cyclists are cycling faster than ever, taking chances they shouldn't be taking, cycling on footpaths, cycling without lights or sufficient illumination.

Pedestrians are crossing where they shouldn't be crossing.

How are many more people not killed on Irish roads.

Road engineering much better than in the past, same with car safety. Vast majority of cyclists now wear helmets compared to when I grew up. Penalty points system has helped somewhat also.

If you had today's volume of traffic but with safety/roads/cycling from 30 years ago, there would be far, far more death on the roads.

marketty

Only 20 years ago in 1998 it was 458. Amazing how far we've come in that time with the culture shift around drink driving, vehicle safety including NCT, and infrastructure improvements including the motorway network which was basically non-existent back then. And despite the increase in cars on the road and presumably an increase in the average mileage with so many long commutes nowadays. And of course the introduction of the biggest distraction to ever appear in a car, the smartphone. Just imagine what we could do if the laws on phone use were actually enforced, we'd surely get it below 100 deaths.

BarryD2

imme wrote: »

In 2017 158 people were killed on Ireland's roads.

A lot of it is down to luck, being in the wrong place at the wrong time. We've all made mistakes when driving, overtaken without sufficient margin for error etc., and got away with it. Forgot to look at a dangerous junction, got away with it. A mental note is made and stars counted. Others not so.

Fact is, you could be a great driver, safe as houses and be wiped out tonight by someone coming around a bend on the wrong side, the other driver having fallen asleep or having a row with the kids in the back. Or you might have arrived at that bend 5 seconds earlier or 5 seconds later and nothing would have happened, other than a fright and shouted curse.

It all makes a bit of a nonsense of road safety campaigns and the seemingly compelling need for safety agencies to keep improving on their records with ever tighter legislation.

A driver may be tootling along with 3 or 4 pints on them, fully aware of it and taking great care, as safe as houses. Another might be stone cold sober but distracted and cause carnage.

QuintusFabius

It's amazing all right, I often wonder the same about airline crashes, I would think there would be more ... maybe someone is looking out for us ?

4068ac1elhodqr

QuintusFabius wrote: »

It's amazing all right, I often wonder the same about airline crashes, I would think there would be more ... maybe someone is looking out for us ?

Yes, it's Mr.Autopilot.

When the robots take over the labourious task of driving in the 2030's, the numbers of accidents may lower to zero, or near zero.

Fr_Dougal

Traffic congestion is bringing down the number of deaths.

paleoperson

Something that always scares me out is trying to pull out from a line of stopped cars when there's a flow of traffic fast speeding traffic coming along the line next to it. Particularly if there's a bend so you can't see them from far away and particularly again if it's raining and/or at night. What if the engine conked out as you were trying pull out? If it's lashing rain I'd try to avoid it as much as possible, even sometimes if it meant taking a long way around.

Capt'n Midnight

Fr_Dougal wrote: »

Traffic congestion is bringing down the number of deaths.

The excise duty on fuel too.

vargoo

Was heading into work early one weekend morning and came upon a crashed car, it had hit a phone pole and was sitting on its side, lovely sez I, me first on the scene, a nice dead body to start the day....but luckily not to be, some drunkard (I'm guessing but no doubt) had climbed out the window and done a runner, left car in the middle of the road.

Thinking after maybe it would have been better if he had been dead in it, he'd hit a pole on "MY" side so he could have hit me, theirs lots of drunks driving around at wk-ends, it never went away. Scumbags really.

prunudo

Advanced medical care will be a factor too. Injuries that would have lead to death 20 or 30 years ago are now survivable because of what the advanced paramedics can do at the accident scene.
If you ever get a chance to watch Air Ambulance ER its an amazing insight to what can be done on the side of the road.

Atlantic Dawn

Over a third of people killed on the roads were not wearing seat belts, pure Darwinites (possibly sewercides I'd say)...
https://www.irishtimes.com/news/environment/over-a-third-of-drivers-killed-weren-t-wearing-seat-belts-1.2317174

TallGlass

Fr_Dougal wrote: »

Traffic congestion is bringing down the number of deaths.

Well yes more but you'll see a peak in the likes of cyclists, pedestrians, motorcyclist deaths.

AmberGold

Motorists crashing into and running over cyclists causing serious injuries and deaths is increasing in Ireland.

How anyone driving with due care can hit a cyclist is beyond belief. We need to enforce serious penalties for using phones while driving. Put down the phones people!!

Richard Hillman

Health and safety gone mad, is what it is.

Dakota Dan

vargoo wrote: »

Was heading into work early one weekend morning and came upon a crashed car, it had hit a phone pole and was sitting on its side, lovely sez I, me first on the scene, a nice dead body to start the day....but luckily not to be, some drunkard (I'm guessing but no doubt) had climbed out the window and done a runner, left car in the middle of the road.

Thinking after maybe it would have been better if he had been dead in it, he'd hit a pole on "MY" side so he could have hit me, theirs lots of drunks driving around at wk-ends, it never went away. Scumbags really.

What made you think he was drunk or that it was even a he?

paleoperson

AmberGold wrote: »

Motorists crashing into and running over cyclists causing serious injuries and deaths is increasing in Ireland.

How anyone driving with due care can hit a cyclist is beyond belief. We need to enforce serious penalties for using phones while driving. Put down the phones people!!

Beyond belief? Hardly, with what I see cyclists doing sometimes I'm slightly shocked I haven't seen them going under a bus or similar already.

Tiny little gaps and they're willing to cycle through them based on the theory that shur the car probably won't move a bit more to the left in the lane, saving a half a minute.

doolox

One little thing I have noticed having avoided 3 motor bike speeders today and many more over my 40 years on the road.

Car drivers could use motorways more wisely by not doing 70 kph in front of HGVS as I have often seen, pushing them out in front of traffic doing 100 kph or forcing them to toddle along within inches of the slow people, terrifying me as I watch in the middle or outer lane.....

People could move off on amber flashing after red lights when there is NO NONE one the cross way...it is legal and allowed, you do not have to stay stopped unless there is someone one the crosswalk. You do not have to wait for green.

Two cyclists I have seen today toddling through red lights and nearly getting hit by traffic in the right. You have no immunity from injury or death and I do not want to be picking up the pieces if you fall foul of opposing traffic by your fallicious actions.

I cannot afford to hang around if you are hit by traffic. I am self employed, need every cent that I earn and will keep going even if someone gets hit. I cannot lose money and lose my house over someone else's stupidity.

SimonTemplar

The using phone while driving is especially bad as I've had a number of very close calls from other drivers texting. I saw this recently and I thought it really hammered home how deluded people are if they think they can text and drive:

https://www.facebook.com/NSTruckingSafetyAssociation/videos/1985133418169798/

jimmycrackcorm

imme wrote:

Cyclists are cycling faster than ever, taking chances they shouldn't be taking, cycling on footpaths, cycling without lights or sufficient illumination.

A lot of this is just perception. Lots of cyclists go through red lights but stand on the corner of westmoreland Street and the Quays and just marvel at the vast number of pedestrians playing chicken with buses turning that corner.

CelticRambler

AmberGold wrote: »

How anyone driving with due care can hit a cyclist is beyond belief. We need to enforce serious penalties for using phones while driving. Put down the phones people!!

Last weekend, I was a front seat passenger driving through Dublin and couldn't believe the number of cyclists dressed all in black, cycling without lights and holding a phone with one hand. In the rain. :eek: I used to be a Dublin cyclist before I emigrated, and would be again if I came back for any length of time, but think those eejits should be rounded up and have their bikes crushed. :mad: So yes, we (i.e. you lot still there!) need to demand serious penalties for that kind of stupidity - "on both sides" as DT would say.

AndrewJRenko

imme wrote: »

Cyclists are cycling faster than ever, taking chances they shouldn't be taking, cycling on footpaths, cycling without lights or sufficient illumination.

Just for the record, it is more than 15 years since a cyclist killed a pedestrian here in Ireland. In that time, motorists have killed more than 4,000 people.

Check out the case reported in the press recently of the cyclist with lights, hi-vis and helmet who was knocked down and killed by a bus driver cutting a corner on the wrong side of the road.

YFlyer

Dakota Dan wrote: »

What made you think he was drunk or that it was even a he?

Did say scumbag as well.

Graces7

My last nearest miss was on a country road when a small dog ran out and chased the car. Thankfully the car behind me was a proper distance away. Dratted dogs loose in rural areas .

TheQuietFella

I was on a bus to Cork recently and just as the driver was preparing to pull into his bay a female pedestrian was taking a short cut through it! She just stepped from the footpath and walked across!

jon1981

Road accidents account for 2.2% deaths in the world. That number is mind boggling.

In 1999 it was the 7th leading cause of mortality in the world, now it's the 3rd

Source https://www.google.ie/

Admin note: Please use direct links so you don't accidentally the whole page.

paw patrol

enough attention isn't given to survivor statistics.
Many survivors live very limited lives after. brain damaged or in a wheelchair, unable to work, living on state support.

I know there was an ad campaign a while back but it's the only one I recall. The damage and life change to survivors should be broadcast continuously

Imagine relying on the HSE for your treatment forever...

imme

ahnowbrowncow wrote: »

How do you they're doing these things more than before? People have always made bad decisions.

It is more rush rush and more push push from what I can see.
Delivery drivers being pushed, all manner of drivers rushing.
People taking dangerous chances.

People less likely to be polite on the roads as well.

imme

Richard Hillman wrote: »

Health and safety gone mad, is what it is.

"What" h&s gone mad is what what was is?

imme

paleoperson wrote: »

Beyond belief? Hardly, with what I see cyclists doing sometimes I'm slightly shocked I haven't seen them going under a bus or similar already.

Tiny little gaps and they're willing to cycle through them based on the theory that shur the car probably won't move a bit more to the left in the lane, saving a half a minute.

Shocking what some cyclists do alright.
Is segregation the answer.

Why do they take such dangerous chances.

Should cyclists be forced to interact with cars trucks and buses the way they commonly do in urban environments.

jon1981

imme wrote: »

It is more rush rush and more push push from what I can see.
Delivery drivers being pushed, all manner of drivers rushing.
People taking dangerous chances.

People less likely to be polite on the roads as well.

This is true, last second turns without indicating, switching lanes without looking...etc.. rushing from the school gate drop off to work...

A guy i work with took 2 hours on a very wet morning this week to drive from stillorgan to the O'Connell street. The mind boggles... the car should just not be an option.

For many, this kind of traffic nightmare would lead to rash decision making and chance taking just to gain 1 car space on the road.

arybvtcw0eolkf

marketty wrote: »

Just imagine what we could do if the laws on phone use were actually enforced, we'd surely get it below 100 deaths.

I think we would too.

I ride a motorbike, or sometimes cycle to work.

If I'm on the motorbike I travel the M50 and try as I might I lose count of the number of people I see texting, talking into their phones or browsing social media.

My take on it is if you really want to kill yourself then go right ahead, I couldn't give a fvck. You're the selfish one not me.

But don't kill me or my family and friends you selfish little prick.

And its so easy to see a driver who is texting, they can't keep a straight line, can't keep a constant speed. When the traffic stops and starts again it they're leaving a 100 meter gap because they haven't noticed everyone around them has moved off.

I wonder how many deaths and serious injury is caused by phone use annually.

Drives me insane.

Shenshen

AmberGold wrote: »

Motorists crashing into and running over cyclists causing serious injuries and deaths is increasing in Ireland.

How anyone driving with due care can hit a cyclist is beyond belief. We need to enforce serious penalties for using phones while driving. Put down the phones people!!

The one and only cycling accident I've had in my life I had this year in Ireland.
I was coming down a steep hill, around a tight corner, and found myself face to face with an SUV on my side of the road. She was in the process of overtaking a dog walker on her side of the road.

Looking at it now, I was actually bloody lucky I wasn't in my car coming down that road - I would have been going a lot faster than on the bike!

imme

CelticRambler wrote: »

Last weekend, I was a front seat passenger driving through Dublin and couldn't believe the number of cyclists dressed all in black, cycling without lights and holding a phone with one hand. In the rain. :eek: I used to be a Dublin cyclist before I emigrated, and would be again if I came back for any length of time, but think those eejits should be rounded up and have their bikes crushed. :mad: So yes, we (i.e. you lot still there!) need to demand serious penalties for that kind of stupidity - "on both sides" as DT would say.

Cyclists without any lights is plain crazy.
It is akin to dicing with death.

To have the bike taken away until they turn up with lights is the only answer.

During the week i saw a young couple in urban Dublin on a busy road during lighting up time.

They looked like South Americans.
They had no lights, were wearing dark clothing, cycling 2 abreast.
Traffic lights no problem, they can go through red lights, which they proceeded to do.

They were beeped out of it but kept going as if they had a date with destiny or death!

The amount of 'self employed' cycling slaves who deliver for food delivery companies who cycle without any lights is frightening.

facehugger99

QuintusFabius wrote: »

It's amazing all right, I often wonder the same about airline crashes, I would think there would be more ... maybe someone is looking out for us ?

Yep, they're called engineers.

imme

AndrewJRenko wrote: »

Just for the record, it is more than 15 years since a cyclist killed a pedestrian here in Ireland. In that time, motorists have killed more than 4,000 people.

Check out the case reported in the press recently of the cyclist with lights, hi-vis and helmet who was knocked down and killed by a bus driver cutting a corner on the wrong side of the road.

Cyclists shouldn't be going out of their way to kill pedestrians.
I'm not saying that that's what you're saying.

Cyclists should be respectful of pedestrians and vice versa.

jon1981

imme wrote: »

Cyclists shouldn't be going out of their way to kill pedestrians.
I'm not saying that that's what you're saying.

Why say it? He's making the point that cyclists are not a threat and the stats support that.

imme

jon1981 wrote: »

Why say it? He's making the point that cyclists are not a threat and the stats support that.

Murder isn't the only result of cyclists using footpaths that they shouldn't be on for example.

dudara

We’ve largely fixed the non-wearing of seat belts, we’ve largely fixed drunk driving, and excessive speeding isn’t too common either.

The next thing that needs to get stamped out is mobile phone use. It’s fricking unbelievable how many people have a phone in their hand while driving. I honestly don’t understand these people’s major malfunction. For me it should be akin to drunk driving, if you’re caught, you lose your license for 3 months min.