Mayo road deaths already same as 2022 and 2021 figures combined

MAYO has already accounted for more than 10 per cent of the number of people killed on the country's roads so far this year. 

The number of people who have lost their lives on Mayo's roads has already doubled on the previous year's figures. This is equal to the number killed on the county's roads in 2021 (5) and 2022 (5) combined. 

Mayo alone accounts for 10.5 percent of the 95 road deaths that have occurred in the country so far this year. 

Three counties; Galway (11), Mayo (10) and Cork (9) accounted for almost one third of all fatalities.

Data made available from a Preliminary Analysis of Road Traffic Fatalities by the RSA (as of 26 July 2023) has highlighted that 23 young people aged 16-25 have lost their lives on the road so far this year.

This is almost the same number of 16-25 year olds killed in with same period in 2021 and 2022 combined (26).

Almost half (49 per cent) of all deaths on the roads occurred at night-time (8pm-8am), when the roads are at their quietest.

Sam Waide, CEO of the RSA, described the figures as 'alarming'. 

"Clearly, the progress we have made in road safety over the last number of years is at risk. The evidence suggests that as a society we are losing momentum when it comes to road safety - with tragic consequences. If this continues, we could see 168 homes with an empty place at their table this Christmas time," Mr Waide said.

"We all have a duty - all parts of society and every road user - to do everything we can to reverse this trend and save lives. I hope today can mark the start of a fightback from all of us to regain the progress we had made and make the second half of 2023 safer for all road users.”

In 2022, 155 people were killed on the country's roads while 1,292 people were seriously injured in road accidents.