Driver error was the cause of 86 per cent of all road accidents last year, according to statistics compiled by the National Roads Authority (NRA).
The figures, contained in the NRA's Road Accident Facts 2002, show pedestrian error was the next most common reported factor, causing 10 per cent of accidents, while road factors were the reported cause of only 2.5 per cent of all accidents last year.
The report, seen by Motors, is released every year by the NRA and is due to be published this week. It's the tenth annual review of information provided by An Garda Síochána on road traffic accidents in the State.
It shows a total of 376 people were killed on the roads in 346 fatal accidents in 2002. This represents a decline of 35 fatalities, or 9 per cent, on 2001. The reduction in road deaths is concentrated in November and December of last year, confirming the effectiveness of the introduction of the penalty points system for speeding motorists. There were 23 road deaths in November 2002 and 21 in December, compared to figures of 40 and 37 the year before. The penalty points system was introduced on October 31st, 2002.
The NRA report estimates that the average cost of a fatal accident in 2002 was €1,357,489, and that the total cost of road accidents last year was €728 million. This compares to a figure of €754 million in 2001, representing a reduction of €26 million.
Car users accounted for 200 (53 per cent) fatalities, pedestrians 23 per cent, pedal cyclists 5 per cent, motorcyclists 12 per cent and other road users 7 per cent.
Compared to 2001, there was a 13 per cent reduction in the number of car user fatalities in 2002. The number of pedal cyclists killed rose by six to 18, while the number of motor cyclists killed on the roads fell by six to 44. The number of pedestrians killed fell by three to 86.
Road users in the 25- to 34-year-old age group were most likely to be injured or killed on the roads. Almost 27 per cent of car drivers who were killed or injured in accidents were in this age group. 17.9 per cent of car passengers, 19.9 per cent of pedal cyclists and 29.6 per cent of motorcyclists, who were killed or hurt, were aged between 25 and 34.
Not surprisingly, the report shows that males seem most likely to die on the roads. A total of 96 male car drivers died, compared to 30 females. Forty men died in motorcycle crashes compared to four women, while 55 male pedestrians died, compared to 29 female pedestrians. Two women pedal cyclists died last year, compared to 15 men. Twenty-seven car drivers between the age of 18 and 24 were killed in road accidents in 2002. Twenty-one of these were young men.
Single vehicle accidents were most common, accounting for 30 per cent of fatal crashes and 16 per cent of injury accidents. Head-on collisions accounted for 28 per cent of fatal accidents and 20 per cent of injury accidents.
On a county-by-county basis Longford emerges as having the highest accident rate in the State, both on a per 1,000 population basis and on a per 1,000 registered vehicles basis. The county recorded 3.1 accidents per 1,000 population and 6.2 per 1,000 registered vehicles. Offaly, meanwhile has the lowest accident rate (1.3) per 1,000 population, and one of the lowest (2.8) per 1,000 licensed vehicles.
Navan, Co Meath was the town with the highest accident rate in 2002. Although there were no fatal crashes in the town during that year there were 58 personal injury accidents, giving an accident rate of 8.5 per 1,000 population. Ireland recorded the seventh lowest European Union road fatality rate of 10.7 per 100,000 population, a reduction of 0.3 compared to 2001.
