Ms Liz O'Donnell:

It is remarkable that there was a rise in the number of fatalities in 2013, but that was the first rise in eight years. Therefore, we have made huge progress thanks to advocacy, public awareness campaigns and the public embracing road safety. However, there is a need for constant advocacy. For example, a worrying trend has emerged where almost one in five drivers killed in 2013 had not been wearing a seatbelt. This seems extraordinary, given all of the work done in advocacy, education and enforcement to ensure compliance the regulations on the wearing of seatbelts. That work is being repeated in 2014, but it goes to show that when one thinks one has got the message across about the need to wear a seatbelt, laxity starts to creepin again.

We must continue to convey the message that wearing a seatbelt is compulsory to save lives.

Looking at the increase in the numbers since 2013, a worrying number of vulnerable road users have died on the roads both this year and last year. A total of 30 pedestrians, 21 motorcyclists and nine cyclists have died on the roads to date in 2014. In contrast, there is a decrease in the number of driver deaths in 2014. In other words, young and old people, vulnerable road users, are increasingly at risk. The RSA will be examining the statistics. Ironically, due to the good weather this year and last year, more pedestrians and cyclists were out on the roads. They are increasingly vulnerable, particularly with more cars on the roads due to the economy lifting.

Road use and danger on the road are changing all the time, so it is the job of the RSA to study these statistics. There was a peak in the number of road deaths in the summer months both last year and this year. In addition to personal responsibility and everybody getting the message that they must drive slower and be more careful, concerted enforcement efforts will have to be deployed over the summer months in 2015.