THE NUMBER OF children killed while walking on Irish roads has fallen by almost half since the late 1990s, a new study has found.
Forty-eight per cent fewer pedestrians under 15 were killed between 2004 and 2008 than in the equivalent period between 1996 and 2000.
Overall, the number of children either killed or injured in road accidents has dropped by more than one-third. The figures emerged in research carried out by Temple Street children’s hospital and the Road Safety Authority of Ireland.
The most dramatic fall was among young cyclists. Fatalities dropped by 76 per cent, with injuries down by 68 per cent over the period of the study.
There was also a decrease of just over one-third in the number of children killed while travelling in cars.
However, the study found that less than 70 per cent of children killed or injured in accidents during both periods had been wearing seatbelts. It also warned that a “large number” of children are still travelling in the front seat of the car.
Between 1996 and 2000, 5,928 children were killed or injured on Irish roads. For the period between 2004 and 2008, the figure was 3,659.
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