THERE has been an 8 per cent increase in the number of people killed on the roads, according to the National Roads Authority. Although the annual number of road deaths has been falling in recent years, the figures for 1995 show 437 people were killed on the roads last year compared to 404 in the previous year.
The NRA report shows Ireland has a considerably lower rate of road fatalities than other EU states. The latest road death figures available show that at 12 per 100,000 of population, Ireland has the fifth-lowest rate in Europe.
The Minister for the Environment, Mr Howl in, expressed concern yesterday at the latest figures. "The reality is the vast bulk of accidents which caused deaths and injuries could have been avoided by the road user," he said.
He said the national road safety campaign, Road Safety Together, was looking at ways to highlight the road-users' responsibilities.
Mr Liam Connellan, the chairman of the National Roads Authority, pointed out that the increase may also be explained by a more comprehensive system of road accident reporting.
A statement by the authority notes that the increase comes at a time when the total volume of travel on Irish roads increased last year to 31,000 million kilometres. The 1995 Road Accidents Facts report also shows a rise in the number of accidents which occur in rural areas.
They account for 69 per cent of all road deaths.