Drop in road deaths makes 2014 one of safest years

The number of deaths on the roads of Meath in the past year is the lowest number in the past four years, an improvement that has been welcomed by road safety officials.
Five people lost their lives in road accidents in the last 12 months, including three drivers (two male and one female), one motorcyclist and one car passenger.
The figures compare favourably with previous years - nine people died in 2013, 14 in 2012 and eight in 2011. Four people were killed in crashes in 2010.
Although exact details are not yet available, the number of “seriously injured” as a result of road accidents is also believed to be well down on previous years.
Meath County Council road safety officer Michael Finnegan said the loss of life in all of the five incidents in 2014 was a tragedy for the immediate and extended families of the deceased and he offered his sympathy and that of the county council to them.
“Every time we use the road, we don’t know what faces us and so we all have to use extreme caution - and I include drivers of all vehicles and pedestrians. While the improvement is welcome, we can do a lot more to ensure that the roads are safer for everyone,” he said.
He said that for some years, Meath County Council has been adopting a three-pronged approach to reducing death and injury on the roads, involving engineering, education and enforcement.