Mayo's high road fatality rate is under fresh scrutiny

Road safety campaigners are 'perplexed' by the huge rise in road deaths in some counties while fatalities have fallen in neighbouring counties, a report in the Irish Independent has revealed.

So far this year, 120 people have died on Irish roads, over 13% more than at the same time last year, when there had been 103 deaths.

Gardaí, the Road Safety Authority (RSA) and road safety campaigners have said they are taken aback by the volatility in fatal crash rates across the country.

Mayo has already recorded 14 deaths this year, two more than for the whole of last year, with five months of the year still to go.

Yet in neighbouring Galway, road deaths have dropped from 13 last year to just three so far this year.

The founder of the PARC (Promoting awareness, responsibility and care on roads) Road Safety Group Susan Gray said more studies are needed into the trends involved with fatal crashes.

“We need a better understanding of why deaths suddenly decline in one county and then increase in another county,” she said.

“It is clear that we also need to see greater resources for Garda Road Policing Units (RPUs), stricter enforcement of road safety regulations and urgent action to close all loopholes in respect of driving tests and driver education.”

RSA external affairs director Sarah O’Connor said last year was “a terrible, terrible year on Irish roads."

Its research has shown “high levels of non-compliance” on the roads, including speeding, use of mobile phones and driving while intoxicated with either alcohol or drugs.

Ireland is on course to record 200 road deaths for the first time in almost 15 years.

Road deaths last month were the worst of any July for a decade.

August is traditionally the deadliest month on Irish roads, and campaigners fear this month will push the country towards its highest annual fatality rate since 2010.