{"source_url": "https://www.irishtimes.com", "url": "https://www.irishtimes.com/news/ireland/irish-news/almost-150-people-killed-on-state-s-roads-during-2019-1.4128126", "title": "Almost 150 people killed on State\u2019s roads during 2019", "top_image": "https://www.irishtimes.com/polopoly_fs/1.4128124.1577821018!/image/image.jpg", "meta_img": "https://www.irishtimes.com/polopoly_fs/1.4128124.1577821018!/image/image.jpg", "images": ["https://www.irishtimes.com/polopoly_fs/1.4110683.1575973090!/image/image.jpeg_gen/derivatives/box_140/image.jpeg", "https://www.irishtimes.com/polopoly_fs/1.2616289.1461146379!/image/image.jpg_gen/derivatives/box_140_140/image.jpg", "https://www.irishtimes.com/polopoly_fs/1.4128124.1577821018!/image/image.jpg", "https://www.irishtimes.com/polopoly_fs/1.4109716.1575911393!/image/image.jpg_gen/derivatives/box_140/image.jpg", "https://www.irishtimes.com/polopoly_fs/1.4109379.1576839440!/image/image.jpg_gen/derivatives/box_140/image.jpg", "https://www.irishtimes.com/assets/images/icons/apps/app-store.png", "https://www.irishtimes.com/polopoly_fs/1.4126935.1577646083!/image/image.jpg_gen/derivatives/box_300_160/image.jpg", "https://www.irishtimes.com/polopoly_fs/1.4091027.1574355335!/image/image.png_gen/derivatives/landscape_300/image.png", "https://www.irishtimes.com/polopoly_fs/1.2889116.1480596986!/image/image.png", "https://www.irishtimes.com/polopoly_fs/1.4089516.1574516818!/image/image.jpg_gen/derivatives/landscape_140/image.jpg", "https://www.irishtimes.com/polopoly_fs/1.4128117.1577816545!/image/image.jpg_gen/derivatives/box_140/image.jpg", "https://www.irishtimes.com/polopoly_fs/1.3752243.1547029046!/image/image.png_gen/derivatives/landscape_140/image.png?1547031774464", "https://www.irishtimes.com/polopoly_fs/1.3752242.1547029043!/image/image.png_gen/derivatives/landscape_140/image.png?1547031704433", "https://www.irishtimes.com/polopoly_fs/1.4128099.1577811960!/image/image.jpg_gen/derivatives/box_140/image.jpg", "http://b.scorecardresearch.com/p?c1=2&c2=8946263&cv=2.0&cj=1", "https://www.irishtimes.com/polopoly_fs/1.4116711.1576496432!/image/image.jpg_gen/derivatives/box_140/image.jpg", "https://www.irishtimes.com/polopoly_fs/1.4117979.1576581664!/image/image.jpg_gen/derivatives/box_140/image.jpg", "https://www.irishtimes.com/polopoly_fs/1.4069246.1572610512!/image/image.jpg_gen/derivatives/landscape_140/image.jpg", "https://www.irishtimes.com/polopoly_fs/1.4105628.1575562411!/image/image.png", "https://www.irishtimes.com/polopoly_fs/1.4050223.1571072291!/image/image.jpg_gen/derivatives/landscape_140/image.jpg", "https://www.irishtimes.com/polopoly_fs/1.3071664.1493913107!/image/image.jpg_gen/derivatives/landscape_620/image.jpg", "https://www.irishtimes.com/polopoly_fs/1.4127416.1577718475!/image/image.jpg_gen/derivatives/box_140/image.jpg", "https://www.irishtimes.com/country-cookie/", "https://www.irishtimes.com/assets/images/icons/apps/google-play.png", "https://www.irishtimes.com/polopoly_fs/1.4128124.1577821018!/image/image.jpg_gen/derivatives/box_300_160/image.jpg", "https://www.irishtimes.com/polopoly_fs/1.4127574.1577732146!/image/image.jpg_gen/derivatives/box_300_160/image.jpg"], "movies": [], "text": "Almost 150 people died on the State\u2019s roads in 2019, according to provisional figures from the Road Safety Authority (RSA).\n\nThe 148 road fatalities is a 4 per cent increase on the 142 deaths in 2018, which was the lowest number since records began in 1959.\n\nDrivers comprised the highest number of road users who died last year, with 81 motorist deaths up until lunch time on December 31st, a 45 per cent increase on the 2018 figure.\n\nThe data also show that 27 pedestrians, 16 passengers and 16 motorcyclists died on Irish roads.\n\nThere were also eight pedal cyclists who died in 2019, down one from the nine cyclist deaths in the previous year.\n\nThe number of collisions also increased this year, with 137 collisions on Irish roads in 2019, compared with 135 in 2018.\n\nConsistently under 200\n\nThe number of road deaths in the Republic has been consistently under 200 since 2010, though there have been a few fluctuations in recent years.\n\nFatalities fell to 163 in 2012 and then increased again in 2013 and 2014 to 190 and 193 respectively before dropping back to 162 in 2015, which was followed in 2016 by an increase to 187.\n\nMinister for Transport Shane Ross expressed his condolences to the families and friends of those who had lost their lives in road fatalities in 2019.\n\n\u201cThe only way to respond to these needless deaths and injuries on our roads is through action, not words. While families and friends grieve the loss of their loved one, we must as a society all respond with deeds to prevent it happening to others,\u201d he said.\n\nThe Minister called on ordinary road users to take \u201cgreater responsibility for our actions when using the road\u201d.\n\n\u201cWe can do this by slowing down, not driving while impaired through drink, drugs or fatigue, by not driving while using a phone, by wearing a seatbelt and always sharing the road more carefully with pedestrians and cyclists,\u201d he added.\n\nLiz O\u2019Donnell, chairwoman of the RSA, said it is \u201cdeeply saddening\u201d that road deaths had risen in 2019.\n\n\u2018Renewed effort\u2019\n\n\u201cWe must respond to this increase the same way we have responded to previous setbacks. Rather than being disheartened, it should spur us and our road safety partners into renewed effort,\u201d she said.\n\nGarda Assistant Commissioner Dave Sheahan said road policing will remain a \u201cstrategic priority\u201d for garda\u00ed this year, and two \u201csignificant developments\u201d will happen to ensure road safety enforcement is achieved.\n\n\u201cFirstly, an additional 180 garda\u00ed have been selected to be assigned to roads policing duties in early 2020. Secondly, the rollout of the new mobility app will be stepped up so that by the end of 2020 there will be in excess of 4,000 devices in the hands of front-line garda\u00ed,\u201d Mr Sheahan said.\n\n\u201cThe new mobility app will revolutionise the way roads policing is carried out in this country.\u201d", "keywords": [], "meta_keywords": [""], "tags": [], "authors": [], "publish_date": null, "summary": "", "article_html": "", "meta_description": "Minister calls on road users to take \u2018greater responsibility for actions when using roads\u2019", "meta_lang": "en", "meta_favicon": "/assets/images/favicons/favicon.ico", "meta_data": {"apple-itunes-app": "app-id=365544593", "description": "Minister calls on road users to take \u2018greater responsibility for actions when using roads\u2019", "vf": {"unique_id": "wwwirishtimescom14128126"}, "news_keywords": "News, Dave Sheehan, Liz O Donnell, Shane Ross, Garda S\u00edoch\u00e1na, Road Safety Authority", "viewport": "width=device-width, initial-scale=1.0, minimum-scale=1.0, maximum-scale=2.0, user-scalable=yes, target-densitydpi=medium-dpi", "apple-mobile-web-app-status-bar-style": "black", "format-detection": "telephone=no", "robots": "all", "og": {"title": "Almost 150 people killed on State\u2019s roads during 2019", "type": "article", "url": "https://www.irishtimes.com/news/ireland/irish-news/almost-150-people-killed-on-state-s-roads-during-2019-1.4128126", "site_name": "The Irish Times", "description": "Minister calls on road users to take \u2018greater responsibility for actions when using roads\u2019", "locale": "en_US", "image": {"identifier": "https://www.irishtimes.com/polopoly_fs/1.4128124.1577821018!/image/image.jpg", "secure_url": "https://www.irishtimes.com/polopoly_fs/1.4128124.1577821018!/image/image.jpg", "type": "image/jpeg", "height": 254, "width": 453}}, "twitter": {"card": "summary_large_image", "site": "@IrishTimes", "creator": "@shaunabowerss", "url": "https://www.irishtimes.com/news/ireland/irish-news/almost-150-people-killed-on-state-s-roads-during-2019-1.4128126", "title": "Almost 150 people killed on State\u2019s roads during 2019", "description": "Minister calls on road users to take \u2018greater responsibility for actions when using roads\u2019", "image": "https://www.irishtimes.com/polopoly_fs/1.4128124.1577821018!/image/image.jpg", "account_id": 15084853}, "p": {"domain_verify": "407f54448f07f81a1dee976d9c243713"}, "fb": {"pages": 45441411157, "app_id": 1170474839675514}}, "canonical_link": "https://www.irishtimes.com/news/ireland/irish-news/almost-150-people-killed-on-state-s-roads-during-2019-1.4128126"}