Upgrade of single carriageway roads could save 50 lives a year, says NRA

The elimination of single carriageway stretches of national roads of the type on which four people died on Thursday could save up to 50 lives a year, according to the National Roads Authority (NRA).

The stretch of the N8 Dublin to Cork road between Cahir and Mitchelstown was identified as a cause of concern by the NRA publication Road Accident Facts 2002.

It was the scene of up to twice the expected rate of accidents between 1996 to 2000.

Road Accident Facts 2002 was published last year and is the latest publication for which official figures are available.

It indicates serious concern over the roughly 20-mile stretch south of Cahir, particularly at the Mitchelstown end where the rate of accidents was more than twice that expected.

This section of road is due to be replaced by a new motorway between Cashel and Mitchelstown as part of the authority's strategy to eliminate all single carriageway roads between Dublin, the Border and all provincial cities.

These stretches of single carriageway are among the most dangerous sections of road in the State, having 297 fatalities as opposed to nine for dual carriageways and just three on motorways.

The inter-urban ones have the added complication of large volumes of heavy traffic. Road Accident Facts 2002 notes that accidents on these types of roads are usually the most severe.

In 2002 the N8 had the highest number of fatalities of all the routes between Dublin and the provincial cities.

The NRA is of the opinion that upgrading these roads to high-grade dual carriageways or motorways provides a greatly enhanced level of safety.

According to the NRA: "The better safety record of motorways and dual carriageways, compared with the sections of two-lane national road they will replace, has the potential to reduce road accident fatalities by over 50 persons annually."

Following the request of the Minister for Transport, Mr Brennan, the Dublin to Cork route is to be given priority, as is the route from Dublin to Galway.

While construction on the Cashel to Mitchelstown section is not expected to get under way until 2006, the Minister has said he hopes to see the entire route substantially complete by the end of 2007.