Sign in. It’s quick, free and it’s up to you.
An account is an optional way to support the work we do. Find out more.
THE NUMBER OF road deaths dropped by 15% last year, with 2017 having the lowest number of fatalities on the roads since records began.
Provisional statistics up to 31 December 2017 show that a total of 158 people lost their lives on the roads as a result of 142 fatal crashes.
This compares to 186 deaths as a result of 174 crashes in 2016.
This marks a drop of about 15% in deaths and an 18% drop in fatal crashes when you compare last year with the year before.
Despite close to one person dying every two days on the roads last year, 2017 was the safest year on Ireland’s roads since deaths were first recorded in 1959.
Before this, 2015 (with 162 deaths) was the safest year on record.
Transport Minister Shane Ross welcomed the drop in road deaths, but said that the numbers were still “not good enough”.
“It is very encouraging to see that we have reversed the upward trend in road deaths witnessed in 2016,” said Ross.
“The combined focus on improved legislation, greater enforcement and road safety campaigns all played their part in saving lives.
“But while it is heartening to see that 2017 was the lowest year on record for road deaths, this is not good enough.
We need to continue our efforts if we are to achieve the objective of reducing fatalities to 124 by 2020. Ultimately our aim should be zero deaths on our roads.
His words were echoed by chairperson of the RSA Liz O’Donnell, who welcomed the figures but said that they needed to be sustained and lowered.
“While one death is one too many the only way we can measure success or failure in road safety is by recording the number of deaths on our roads,” she said.
There must be a concerted effort on the part of government, government departments, agencies and the public to continue to implement the measures in the government’s road safety strategy.
Ireland’s Road Safety Strategy 2013 to 2020 has the goal of making Ireland’s roads as safe as the best performing countries in the EU by 2020.
Specifically, this means that fatalities on Irish roads need to be reduced to 124 or fewer by 2020.
To embed this post, copy the code below on your site
When they changed to reduced sugar it was the end….. Lilt has never been the same.
@Shane McGrath: Exactly. I’ve been cutting down on soft drinks because I’m allergic to aspartame. It used to be my only reason for ordering regular instead of diet drinks.
And the other artificial sweeteners aren’t doing any favours to the taste either.
If they had reduced the sugar, and left it at that, I wouldn’t mind, but trying to compensate by using artificial sweeteners is wrong on so many levels.
@Shane McGrath: Blame the sugar tax for ruining lifes small pleasures.
If you don’t have Lilt and Cidona as your Christmas softdrinks are you even Irish????
@Fi Wyse: or Tanora if you’re from Cork
@Sara McS: Tanora and a chicken fillet roll. Gift nyom
Rockshandy rules this isle!… Victory!
@thesaltyurchin: The Mas with the flat 7up might not agree with you…..
@Fi Wyse: or the boiled red lemonade. A legendary cure-all! :)
@Fi Wyse:
Who on earth drinks this rubbish?
Artificial sweeteners are the no. 1 causse of cancer.
Can’t say you weren’t warned.
With the cost of living these days lilt might be the closest we get to the tropics.
More than the product itself, I liked the original advertising campaign. Everytime I drank it, or even now when I just think of it, I think of the West Indies and that ‘totally tropical taste’.
I’m sure Fanta will reconsider their decision on the results of this poll, so get voting everyone!
After a sweaty hot day in the bog bringing home trailers of turf, there’s nothing like going to the fridge and opening and downing a can of lilt……..
Who
The
*
Cares
Don’t drink it, but I’m outraged anyway. Is there a protest arranged or maybe an online petition? Anyone know the number for Joe Duffy?
The Aldi version is very nice!
@Gareth Miskelly: no it’s not it’s mank
Fanta was created by Coca Cola for sale in the Nazi market during WWII. That was the company’s way of getting around federal legislation banning trade with Germany. Germany was the only production base for Fanta until the parent company started global sales. It’s a small world, really..
Yes, it’s totally tropical
Just YUCK
Listing the ingredients for fun :)
Carbonated Water, Fruit Juices from Concentrate 5% (Pineapple, Grapefruit), Sugar, Citric Acid, Antioxidant (Ascorbic Acid), Sweeteners (Acesulfame K, Aspartame, Sodium Saccharin), Preservative (Potassium Sorbate), Flavourings, Stabilisers (Acacia Gum, Guar Gum, Sucrose Acetate Isobutyrate, Glycerol Esters of Wood Rosins), Colour (Carotenes). Contains a Source of Phenylalanine.
Total Carbohydrates 4.6g
Total Sugars 4.6g
Fair enough, I’ll be trying the Fanta version.
Never liked the stuff but I have a mate that’s addicted to it. He’ll be freaking out
Always dreamed of being “ The Lilt Man “ – not the same on courtown beach though :-(
Shrugs shoulders and walks away…
have your say