Almost two out of every five road fatalities in Dublin is a pedestrian according to newly released statistics, making them the single biggest group of road users to die in the capital.
The figures have been released by An Garda Síochána as part of their "Casualty Reduction Campaign" to run for the next two months.
"When we analyse the tragic year end figure(s), we can clearly see that pedestrians still remain the most vulnerable, even more so than drivers who traditionally figure higher in terms of fatal incidents," said chief superintendent Aidan Reid, head of the city's traffic corps.
Between 2008 and last year pedestrians accounted for 37 per cent of the 121 road deaths in Dublin, just a slightly higher proportion than drivers who made up 35 per cent of the total.
That represents 45 pedestrian deaths, as against 42 drivers, 18 passengers, 11 cyclists and five motorcyclists.
“This is not solely an enforcement issue. We must get drivers to slow down, particularly in 30 kilometre an hour and 50 kilometre an hour zones, but also appeal to pedestrians to ensure they do everything to remain safe on the roads,” said chief superintendent Reid.
“This is particularly relevant in relation to pedestrians who may have been drinking. Getting home safely is what everyone wants, so when our socialising be responsible.”
Figures also show that those struck by a vehicle travelling at around 60 kilometres an hour stand an 85 per cent chance of death.
Michael Rowland of the Road Safety Authority said: "Drivers need to play their part too by realising that in a collision with a pedestrian, regardless of who is at fault, the pedestrian will come off worse so it's important to drive with your eyes wide open to possible danger and slow down."
