Almost half of all road traffic deaths in Dublin last year were pedestrians, and most of the 27 pedestrians killed were under the age of 10 or over 55. Fifteen of those killed were within 100 metres of a controlled crossing, as were a third of the 58 pedestrians seriously injured.
Most accidents occurred crossing the road on a leisure trip, or travelling to or from home. Alcohol was a factor in a quarter of the deaths and 16 per cent of the serious injuries.
Carelessness by pedestrians was the major factor in 23 per cent of all accidents. An educational media and poster campaign announced yesterday urges pedestrians to "Look Left, Look Right, Look Out".
The most common form of carelessness was children dashing out on to the road, while wearing dark clothing at night was a factor in 5 per cent of pedestrian error in fatal accidents, as was taking medication, primarily by the elderly.
Six of the pedestrian deaths were due to driver error, with 13 seriously injured as a result of driver error.
Speaking at the announcement of the collaborative project between the Garda Siochana, the four Dublin authorities and the Eastern Regional Health Authority, the Assistant Garda Commissioner, Mr Jim McHugh, stressed that Ireland had the third-highest pedestrian fatality rate in Europe.
Pedestrians were killed in 26.7 per cent of accidents around the State, compared to 46 per cent of accidents in Dublin. The European average is 16 per cent.
"There is a particular problem in the city due to the high population and the increasing number of vehicles," he said.
The Deputy Lord Mayor of Dublin, Mr Brendan Carr, admitted the four-week advertising campaign might shock some with slogans like "Some drivers won't break. You will", showing a broken limb.