Summer most dangerous time to be on road, data shows

Summer is the most most dangerous time of the year to be on Irish roads, an analysis of traffic collision data over recent years shows.

Between 2010 and 2014 some 225 people were killed on roads in June, July and August. During the summer months, most collisions occurred on weekends, with the highest number of fatalities on Saturdays and Sundays.

Across a full year, however, a different pattern emerges with more fatalities occurring on weekdays and most collisions recorded during the evening rush-hour.

The findings are contained in data compiled by the Garda and sent to the Road Safety Authority. While a majority of collisions take place in Dublin, when population and volume of people are factored in, it emerges as one of the safer counties.

Safest record

Louth, by contrast, has had the highest number of collisions per population over recent years, with about 1.6 per 1,000 people.

Kildare has the safest record in recent times, with 0.9 collisions per 1,000 people.

Failure to wear a seatbelt has remained a major factor in fatalities. Over the past decade, about one in five of people who died on the road – which equates to about 75 individuals – were not wearing a seatbelt at the time of the collision.

Despite major success in lowering road deaths over the past decade, some 196 people died in 2014, a 20 per cent rise in two years.