John Curran (Dublin Mid West, Fianna Fail)
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604. To ask the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport if an analysis as to the causes in road fatalities in 2016 has been carried out; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [3112/17]

Shane Ross (Dublin Rathdown, Independent)
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​The main causes of road deaths in Ireland are considered to be alcohol, excessive speed, distracted driving and failure to wear seat belts. A provisional review of the road fatal collisions in 2016 was carried out by the Road Safety Authority (RSA) based on a statistical analysis of such fatalities across a range of variables and causes. It shows for example that of the 2016 fatal collisions, 18% of drivers and 32% of passengers were confirmed as not wearing a seat belt, while 41% of drivers and 34% of passengers were confirmed as wearing a seatbelt, with the remainder not known at this time.

Detailed reports by the RSA on Fatal Collisions, which were published last year, indicates excessive speed was a contributory factor in 32% of fatal collisions and alcohol in 38% of collisions for which files were available for analysis by the RSA for the period 2008 - 2012.   

While 2015 (together with 2012) had the joint lowest number of road deaths at 162 persons since records began in Ireland there was an increase in 2016 to 187.  I am determined that we will reverse this trend in road deaths we saw last year. I held a Special meeting of the Ministerial Committee on road safety earlier this month, and I very much welcome the assurance by An Garda Síochána at that meeting that there will be an increase of 10% in the traffic corps during the course of 2017 with more check points and greater enforcement of traffic law and that road safety enforcement is a priority in the 2017 Garda Policing Plan.