Slugger O'Toole: Ireland's most dangerous roads

Other dangerous roads include the N54 between Clones and Monaghan, the N53 between Dundalk and the border as well as the road from Letterkenny to Strabane.

Irish single carriageways have a collision rate of 11.5 fatal or injury crashes for every billion vehicle kilometres in the Irish Republic, 12.4 per billion in Northern Ireland. According to the AA, remarkably given their excellent road safety record overall, British single carriageways are no better with a rate of 12.4.

Between 1998 and 2002 there were 2.3 fatal collisions per billion vehicle kilometres on the Irish Republic's motorways compared to a UK figures of 1.9 while Sweden and the Netherlands had figures of 1.7.

"But most striking is the fact that similar roads in Sweden are far safer. It is clear that there are lessons for Ireland to learn from Sweden in terms of road design and management, including the more widespread provision of crash barriers and '2+1' lanes roads.

"91 per cent of collisions on our road network happen on single carriageways." Says Conor Faughnan, public affairs manager of AA Ireland. "We simply must find ways of making those roads more forgiving. At speeds of 100 kph, head on crashes or collisions with roadside objects or pedestrians are invariably fatal. We must find ways of recognising the causes of these routine, predictable deaths and managing them out of our road system."

Those who have driven in Spain won't be surprised to hear the motorway figure there was 11.3.

"91 per cent of collisions on our road network happen on single carriageways." Says Conor Faughnan, public affairs manager of AA Ireland."

How interesting then that speed cameras (fixed and mobile) operate primarily on dual carriageway roads with low speed limits.

Redeye,
I recall the Irish Transport Minister (Seamus Brennan I think) rightly telling the Gardai last year to stop getting all their speed convictions on the M1 motorway as this is one of the safest pieces of road in the country.

They used to just sit in a car on a flyover and collect the monthly quota in no time. Why bother with accident blackspots.

I suppose it comes down to whether success in the control of speeding is judged by the number of road deaths or the number of convictions.

Its all about the money...

"91 per cent of collisions on our road network happen on single carriageways." Says Conor Faughnan, public affairs manager of AA Ireland.

Then why don't they implement policies that all new roads/bypasses are at least dual carrigeways. This initial cost would be a little more than a single carrigeway but would be enormously cheaper than trying to extend the road in the future.

The main problem in Ireland is that development is done for the now on stats a few years old instead of building for the future. Therefore by the time the road is completed - its already out of date and carrying more traffic than it was designed for!

Why not build more railroads?

Why not take steps to reduce the traffic on the roads, ireland has the highest rate of car ownership in the world! This would of course require major investment in public investment and would reduce the need for destructive motorways like the proposed M3 at Tara.

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