COMMISSION STAFF WORKING DOCUMENT Monitoring Road Safety Progress in the EU - Ireland Accompanying the document COMMUNICATION FROM THE COMMISSION TO THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT, THE COUNCIL, THE EUROPEAN ECONOMIC AND SOCIAL COMMITTEE AND THE COMMITTEE OF THE REGIONS Report on the Implementation of the EU Road Safety Policy Framework at the Mid-Point
Date: 2026-02-13
Institutions: Directorate-General for Mobility and Transport, European Commission
Subjects: EU investment, Ireland, accident prevention, common transport policy, innovation, road safety, road transport, transport accident, transport infrastructure, transport statistics

EN 

  EN 

   EUROPEAN COMMISSION  Brussels, 13.2.2026  SWD(2026) 46 final  COMMISSION STAFF WORKING DOCUMENT Monitoring Road Safety Progress in the EU - Ireland Accompanying the document COMMUNICATION FROM THE COMMISSION TO THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT, THE COUNCIL, THE EUROPEAN ECONOMIC AND SOCIAL COMMITTEE AND THE COMMITTEE OF THE REGIONS Report on the Implementation of the EU Road Safety Policy Framework at the Mid-Point {COM(2026) 77 final} - {SWD(2026) 33 final} - {SWD(2026) 34 final} - {SWD(2026) 35 final} - {SWD(2026) 36 final} - {SWD(2026) 37 final} - {SWD(2026) 38 final} - {SWD(2026) 39 final} - {SWD(2026) 40 final} - {SWD(2026) 41 final} - {SWD(2026) 42 final} - {SWD(2026) 43 final} - {SWD(2026) 44 final} - {SWD(2026) 45 final} - {SWD(2026) 47 final} - {SWD(2026) 48 final} - {SWD(2026) 49 final} - {SWD(2026) 50 final} - {SWD(2026) 51 final} - {SWD(2026) 52 final} - {SWD(2026) 53 final} - {SWD(2026) 54 final} - {SWD(2026) 55 final} - {SWD(2026) 56 final} - {SWD(2026) 57 final} - {SWD(2026) 58 final} - {SWD(2026) 59 final}  
 
 
Contents 

1. 

2. 

2.1. 

2.2. 

2.3. 

2.4. 

2.5. 

3. 

3.1. 

3.2. 

4. 

4.1. 

4.2. 

4.3. 

5. 

Summary ............................................................................................................ 2 

Road Safety Strategy and Measures .................................................................. 4 

Road Safety Strategy...................................................................................... 4 

Road Safety Governance................................................................................ 4 

Main Safety Issues ......................................................................................... 5 

Road Safety Targets ....................................................................................... 5 

Road Safety Measures.................................................................................... 6 

Road Safety Progress ......................................................................................... 6 

Road Safety Outcomes ................................................................................... 6 

Road Safety Performance Indicators ............................................................. 9 

Monitoring Road Safety Strategy Implementation .......................................... 10 

Implementation Progress ............................................................................. 10 

Best Practices ............................................................................................... 16 

Gaps ............................................................................................................. 17 

Conclusions and Recommendations ................................................................ 18 

1 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Ireland 

1. Summary 

Ireland is among the better performing countries in the EU with 32 fatalities per million 
inhabitants in 2024 (EU average of 45). Compared to 2019, an increase of 22% in fatalities was 
recorded although there was a 5% decrease between 2023 and 2024. Additionally, in 2024, 
1,368 serious injuries were recorded, which is 9% lower than the respective figure in 2019. 
Thus, based on the latest available data, Ireland is currently not on track to meet the 2030 
targets. 

Compared to the EU average, the distribution of fatalities in Ireland in 2023 showed a high 
proportion  of  car  occupants  and  fatalities  outside  urban  areas.  Between  2019  and  2023, 
considerable  increases  in  road  fatalities  were  recorded,  especially  among  PTW  riders, 
pedestrians and inside urban areas. 

Aligned with the European Commission, Ireland’s Road Safety Strategy 2021-2030 sets the 
targets  of  halving  the  numbers  of  road  fatalities  and  serious  injuries  by  2030.  Interim 
targets for 2024 have been also set, including a 15% reduction in fatalities and a 10% reduction 
in serious injuries. The average of the 2017-2019 figures for fatalities and serious injuries are 
used as target baselines.  

The  2021-2030  Road  Safety  Strategy  adopts  a  transformational  and  partnership-based 
approach  to  road  safety  in  Ireland  to  achieve  the  road  safety  targets  by  2030  as  well  as 
progressing toward “Vision Zero” by 2050. It includes three phases of action plans (Phase 1 
2021-2024;  Phase  2  2025-2027;  Phase  3  2028-2030),  to  ensure  that  the  road  safety 
interventions and activities undertaken will continue to be effective and incorporate the latest 
innovations and developments in the field. At the time of publication in December 2021, the 
action plan of Phase 1 included 50 high impact actions divided across the seven Safe System 
priority intervention areas and a further 136 support actions. Four further high impact actions 
were added during Phase 1, following the 2023 annual conference, giving a total of 190 actions. 

In 2023, new legislation allowed for preliminary drug testing at the roadside, as well as harsher 
penalties and reductions in speed limits in regional and local roads. In addition, all uniformed 
police must carry out 30 minutes of roads policing per shift.  

Regarding implementation of the road safety actions foreseen in the national strategy for the 
period 2021-2024, progress has been made in most road safety areas, while some delays 
mainly due to legislation and resource constraints are reported. Based on the self-reported 
assessment, out of the 26 road safety areas examined, 20 are well on track, while the remaining 
6 have been delayed. It is noted that in 15 out of 26 examined road safety areas of all pillars, 
the  starting  level  in  2021  is  self-assessed  as  medium,  while  for  the  remaining  10  areas  the 
baseline is assessed as low. The pillars which had advanced least by 2021 are Safe Roads and 
Safe Vehicles.  

The  main  gap  reported  in  the  implementation  of  Ireland’s  first  Road  Safety  Action  Plan  is 
funding/resource constraints. This was reported as the main reason for delaying or deferring 
various  actions  across  all  pillars,  such  as  enforcement  activities,  the  establishment  of  Road 
Safety Working Together Groups in several local regions, the expansion of the active travel 
infrastructure, the development of an online system that allows the access to vehicle testing 

2 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
history, etc. 

Another important gap reported in the implementation of some measures concerns legislative 
changes. It  turned out  that,  where they were required, they proved to  be a time-consuming 
process which caused delays in progressing the implementation of specific areas of the strategy 
or were barriers for the implementation of some actions (e.g. data sharing process). However, 
this is being addressed to some extent with the establishment of specific groups (Legislative 
Enabler Group, Data Enabler Group), aiming to resolve cross-organisational issues arisen and 
ensure progress in a collaborative way. 

On the other hand, a series of best practices is available for Ireland, including actions from all 
pillars.  A  multi-annual  Communication  Strategy  has  been  developed  to  ensure  that  the 
evidence-based communications target the right group of road users, at the right time, using 
the most effective communication channels. It is noted however, that despite these campaigns 
addressing  the  scope  of  communication  as  defined  in  the  strategy,  there  were  funding 
constraints  in  this  area.  To  help  address  these  constraints  more  recently,  the  Government 
directed additional investment into road safety communications campaigns in late 2023 and 
again in 2024. 

Also, the national cycling training programme is one of the referred best practices of this 
period, which will reach 40,000 participants in 2024, including 9,000 participants from schools 
in disadvantaged areas and 1,000 participants with disabilities. 

Additionally, a national camera strategy is prepared jointly with key stakeholders to ensure 
that camera enforcement will take place in a holistic manner. This includes trials of average 
speed cameras in various locations around the country. However, for the full implementation 
of this strategy, legislative changes need to be made to allow for the extended use of a camera-
based enforcement, as well as significant resources, particularly with regard to the technology, 
background support and enforcement staff required.  

Finally, various best practices are referred to the Safe Roads pillar, including the diversion of 
HGV traffic from the Dublin city centre via a tunnel, which is not feasible for the majority of 
counties. Other best practices include sharing templates with local authorities to create their 
own road safety plans, programmes for road safety in schools and partnering with local/rural 
sports clubs to raise awareness on road safety issues.  

The  Phase  2  action  plan  of  the  GRSS  is  under  development  in  collaboration  with  all  key 
stakeholders.  There  will  be  a  streamlined  approach  to  the  development  of  the  action 
incorporating a number of key transformational actions and support actions. 

Although Ireland continues to perform better than the EU average, an increasing trend in road 
fatalities is observed from 2019-2024. The possible way forward to address this could include:  

•  accelerating the implementation of the delayed measures, 
• 

identifying  relevant  actions  in  the  phase  2  action  plan,  ensuring  that  the  focus  is  on 
transformative actions that all stakeholders have agreed and are resourced adequately 
to deliver in the timeline proposed. 

3 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
2. Road Safety Strategy and Measures 

2.1.  Road Safety Strategy 

The Government of Ireland’s current Road Safety Strategy spans the decade 2021–2030. It 
has a new ambition at its core, guiding Ireland towards ‘Vision Zero’, which underpins the EU 
Road  Safety  Policy  Framework  (2021–2030)  and  will  be  delivered  by  the  Safe  System 
approach. This Road Safety Strategy adopts a transformational and partnership-based approach 
to road safety in Ireland to achieve the road safety targets by 2030. The Road Safety Strategy 
was developed by the Road Safety Authority (RSA) in partnership with key stakeholders.  

The 2021–2030 Road  Safety  Strategy will include  three action plans (Phase 1 2021-2024; 
Phase  2  2025-2027;  Phase  3  2028-2030),  to  ensure  that  the  road  safety  interventions  and 
activities undertaken will continue to be effective and incorporate the latest innovations and 
developments in the field.  

Table 15.1: National road safety strategy 

Timeframe 

Lead Authority 

Ireland 
2021-2030 (3 phases) 

Road Safety Authority (RSA) developed the strategy, in consultation with key 
Irish road safety stakeholders and the Irish public 

Link 

https://www.rsa.ie/about/safety-strategy-2021-2030  

2.2.  Road Safety Governance 

Strategy delivery is overseen by the Road Safety Transformation Partnership Board, which is 
comprised of senior officials from across the most relevant Departments and State Agencies. 
At political level, Strategy progression is also reported to the Ministerial Committee of Road 
Safety,  which  is  chaired  by  the  Minister  for  Transport.  The  relevant  committee  in  the 
legislature, the Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport, has also scheduled several sessions 
on road safety matters in recent years. 

More generally, the Road Safety Authority has a statutory responsibility to produce and publish 
statistics on road safety and Transport Infrastructure Ireland has responsibility for various road 
safety matters as set out in the RISM Directive. 

4 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
2.3.  Main Safety Issues 

Despite the good road safety progress over the previous decade, a number of challenges remain 
for Ireland1:  

•  Less  progress  has  been  observed  in  cyclist,  pedestrian,  and  PTW  rider  deaths, 

compared to car occupant deaths. 

•  Since 2014, there has been a steady annual increase in the number of seriously injured 
people2 in  road crashes  up to  2019. This  was followed by a decrease in  2020 and a 
further increase in 2021 and 2022. An annual decrease of 14% was recorded also in 
2023 and a 6% decrease in 2024. 

•  Contributory factors to road user fatalities in Ireland include:  

o  26% of driver fatalities (2016-2020)3 with a record of their actions available were 

exceeding a safe speed. 

o  35%  of  driver  fatalities  (2016-2020)  with  a  toxicology  result  available  had  a 

positive toxicology for alcohol4.  

o  21% of car users killed were not wearing a seat belt (2019-2023)5. 

Also, based on observational and survey research: 

• 

• 

In 2023, about 47% of passenger car drivers on urban roads (50km/h limit) and 34% of 
car drivers on 80km/h roads were driving above the speed limits6. 
In  2023,  9%  of  motorists  were  using  a  mobile  device,  based  on  an  observational 
survey7. 

2.4.  Road Safety Targets 

Aligned with the European Commission’s road safety targets, the following targets have been 
set in the Road Safety Strategy 2030 of Ireland: 

•  By 2030, a 50% reduction in fatalities, from 144 to 72 or lower 
•  By 2030, a 50% reduction in serious injuries, from 1,259 to 630 or lower  

The average number of fatalities and serious injuries from 2017-2019 are used as baseline 
figures in Ireland. 

1 https://www.rsa.ie/about/safety-strategy-2021-2030 
2 There is a break in the time series for serious injuries in the year 2014, due to a change in the way road traffic 
collision data was provided in Ireland (i.e., a change from a paper based to electronic system). This break does 
not affect the trend figures for fatalities. 
3 RSA analysis of coronial data for driver fatalities that occurred during 2016-2020.  
4 A positive toxicology for alcohol was recorded where the BAC of the deceased was >20mg alcohol per 100ml 
blood (or equivalent in urine/vitreous humour). 
5 Source: Road Traffic collision database 2025 
6 RSA (2024). Free Speed Survey 2023. Available at: 
https://www.rsa.ie/docs/default-source/road-safety/r4.1-research-reports/safe-speeds/free-speed-survey-
2023.pdf?sfvrsn=361a71ae_5 
7 RSA (2024). Mobile Device Usage Observational Survey 2023. Available at: 
https://www.rsa.ie/docs/default-source/road-safety/r4.1-research-reports/safe-road-use/mobile-device-usage-
observational-survey-2023.pdf?sfvrsn=c6a7cad1_5 

5 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
To further monitor road safety  performance in  Ireland during the first  phase of the strategy 
implementation (2021-2024), interim targets for 2024 were set: 

•  By 2024, a 15% reduction in fatalities compared to the average number of fatalities 

of the period 2017-2019 (from 144 to 122 or lower). 

•  By 2024, a  10%  reduction in serious injuries compared to  the average number of 

serious injuries of the period 2017-2019 (from 1,259 to 1,133 or lower). 

Also, 15 key safety performance indicators (SPIs) are defined in  the road safety strategy to 
measure and track the factors affecting road fatalities and serious injuries. No targets have been 
set for the SPIs.  

2.5.  Road Safety Measures 

The Road Safety Strategy 2021-2030 of Ireland includes seven areas of intervention. All action 
plans will include actions under each of these areas. The action plan of Phase 1 includes 190 
actions,  with  50  high  impact  actions  and  136  support  actions8.  4  additional  high  impact 
actions were introduced, following the 2023 annual conference. 

Table 15.2: Number of road safety actions in the road safety strategic plan of Phase 1 (2021-
2024) 

Areas 

1.  Safe roads and roadsides 

2.  Safe speeds 

3.  Safe vehicles 

4.  Safe road use 

5.  Post-crash response 

6.  Safe and healthy modes of travel 

7.  Safe work-related road use 

Total 

3. Road Safety Progress 

3.1.  Road Safety Outcomes 

High Impact Actions 

Support Actions 

5 

5 

5 

18 

5 

6 

6 

50 

23 

6 

12 

76 

7 

3 

9 

136 

Based  on  preliminary  data,  in  2024,  171  road  fatalities  and  1,368  serious  injuries9  in  road 
crashes were recorded in Ireland. Ireland ranked 7th out of the 27 EU countries in terms of 
the lowest rate of fatalities. In fact, 32 fatalities per million inhabitants were recorded, which 
is well below the EU average (45).  

8 RSA (2021). Our Journey Towards Vision Zero - Ireland’s Government Road Safety Strategy. Phase 1 Action 
Plan 2021–2024. Available at: 
https://www.rsa.ie/docs/default-source/road-safety/action-
plans/rsa_safety_strategy_action_plan_2021_2024_13th_jan2022_final_online.pdf?sfvrsn=67518e36_5 
9 Source: rsa.ie 

6 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Figure 15.1 Mortality rates by country, 2024  

Sources: CARE database on road crashes; population data from Eurostat (online data code demo_pjan). 

However, in 2024, the number of fatalities increased by 23% compared to 201910. On the other 
hand, the number of serious injuries in 2024 was 9% lower than the respective figure in 2019. 
Thus,  based  on  the  latest  available  data,  Ireland  is  currently  not  in  line  to  reach  the  2030 
targets, although it continues to perform better than the EU average.  

Figure 15.2 Road fatalities and target 2030  
(Source CARE database) 11 

10 For all Member States, 2019 has been used as the baseline year for the monitoring of 2030 targets in this report, 
which is used at EU level. Ireland has set the average of 2017-2019 as baseline (144 fatalities and 1,259 serious 
injuries). Considering the national baseline, in 2024, the observed number of fatalities was 55% higher than the 
target value and in 2023, the number of serious injuries was about twice higher. 
11 It is noted that the global COVID-19 pandemic had an impact on the CARE data for 2020 and 2021 for many 
European countries. Traffic volumes dropped sharply during the pandemic due to traffic restrictions, which was 
associated with a significant drop in road traffic crashes and fatalities. 

7 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Figure 15.3 Serious road injuries and target 2030  
(Source: CARE database)12 

In 2023, compared to the EU average, the distribution of fatalities in Ireland showed a high 
proportion of car occupants and fatalities occurred outside urban areas12. In fact, 47% of killed 
people in  road crashes were car occupants  in  2023 and 69% of road crash fatalities outside 
urban  areas,  on  non-motorway  roads.  Also,  the  share  of  fatalities  and  serious  injuries  on 
motorways in Ireland was very low in 2023. 
An overview of the evolution of road fatalities and serious injuries for the years 2019 and 2023 
is  provided  below  for  specific  types  of  roads,  crashes  and  road  users.  Serious  injuries 
decreased in 2023 for almost all groups examined, except serious injuries outside urban areas, 
on non-motorway roads and among car occupants and pedestrians. The decrease in seriously 
injured  cyclists  was  considerably  higher  than  the  decrease  in  the  total  number  of  serious 
injuries. 

On the other hand, road fatalities increased considerably for almost all groups between 2019 
and 2023. The number of fatalities among PTW riders increased by 63%, among pedestrians 
by 59% and inside urban areas by 52%.  

12  European  Commission  (2023),  Country  Profile  Ireland.  Road  Safety  Observatory.  Brussels,  European 
Commission, Directorate General for Transport. 

8 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Table 15.3: Evolution of road fatalities, 2019-2023 

Fatalities 

Total road fatalities 

Inside urban areas 

Outside urban areas 

Motorways 

Multi vehicle crashes13 

Car occupants 

PTW riders 

Cyclists 

Pedestrians 

2019 

140 

31 

101 

8 

66 

81 

16 

8 

27 

2023 

180 

47 

125 

7 

70 

85 

26 

9 

43 

%  
in 2023 

% change 
2019-2023 

- 

26% 

69% 

4% 

39% 

47% 

14% 

5% 

24% 

+29% 

+52% 

+24% 

-13% 

+6% 

+5% 

+63% 

+13% 

+59% 

Table 15.4: Evolution of serious injuries, 2019-2023 

Serious Injuries 

Total serious injuries 

Inside urban areas 

Outside urban areas 

Motorways 

Multi vehicle crashes14 

Car occupants 

PTW riders 

Cyclists 

Pedestrians 

2019 

1,506 

811 

651 

44 

870 

613 

227 

305 

301 

2023 

1,453 

738 

682 

33 

749 

620 

175 

225 

302 

3.2.  Road Safety Performance Indicators 

%  
in 2023 

% change 
2019-2023 

- 

51% 

47% 

2% 

52% 

43% 

12% 

15% 

21% 

-4% 

-9% 

+5% 

-25% 

-14% 

+1% 

-23% 

-26% 

0% 

Seat  belt  and  helmet  wearing  rates  are  higher  in  Ireland  than  the  EU  average,  while  self-
reported  drink-driving  is  less  frequent  than  at  EU  level.  Also,  the  passenger  car  fleet  is 
considerably younger than the EU average. 

13 Injuries in a collision with more than one vehicle involved which was not a hit and run collision. 
14 idem 

9 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Table 15.5: Road Safety Performance Indicators, 2022 – 2025 (Source: ERSO, Country 
Profiles) 

Speeding15 
% of passenger cars travelling within speed limits a 

Motorways 
Rural Roads 
Urban Roads 

Seat belt & CRS use rates (%) a*,b 

Front 
Rear 
Child restraint systems (roadside observations) 
Child restraint systems (in-vehicle inspections) 

Helmet use rates (%) a 

PTW driver 
PTW passenger 
Cyclist 

DUI of Alcoholc 
(self-reported) 

Ireland 

EU 

2022 

2025 

2022 

2025 

88.4 
80.5 
25.4 

95.0 
75.0 
67.0 
/ 

98.0 
- 
49.0 

89.0 
61.0 
71.0 

95.9 
97.9 
- 
/ 

99.4 
- 
57.5 

- 
- 
- 

93.1 
75.3 
67.0 
- 

97.0 
94.4 
37.8 

- 
- 
- 

92.4 
69.9 
83.3 
- 

97.6 
97.0 
34.5 

% of car drivers who have driven at least once in the 
last 30 days over the legal limit 

8.0 

- 

11.8 

11.8 

Driver Distraction a 

% of drivers not using hand-held mobile 
device/phone while driving 

Vehicle Safety 

91.0 

90.1 

94.8 

94.5 

% of new passenger cars rated with 4 EuroNCAP 
stars and above a 
Average age of passenger car fleet (years)d 

93.6 

9.1 

85.0 

12.0 

83.6 

12.3 

82.7 

12.5 

Sources: a Baseline and Trendline projects, b ETSC (2022), c ESRA3 project (2024), d ACEA (2024, 2025), Notes: 
*2025 data only for weekdays 

4. Monitoring Road Safety Strategy Implementation 

4.1.  Implementation Progress 

Road Safety Management 

Ireland starts from a medium level in all areas related to road safety management except the 
national  road  safety  authority,  for  which  the  baseline  is  assessed  as  high.  The  Road  Safety 
Authority (RSA) of Ireland has been active in the field of road safety since 2006, having made 
a significant contribution to the country's progress.  

15 An EU average is not available for speeding, due to different legal speed limits among countries, which does 
not allow for a straightforward comparison.  

10 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Table 15.6: Self-reported assessment of implementation progress of measures related to road 
safety management 

B1 

Road Safety Management 

1 

2 

3 

4 

National road safety authority 

National road safety budget 

Road safety legislation 

National road safety observatory 

Baseline 
Assessment (2021) 

Progress 
(2021-2024) 

high 

medium 

medium 

medium 

delayed 

on track 

delayed 

on track 

According  to  the  self-reported  assessment,  during  the  period  2021-2024,  progress  has  been 
made  in  the  implementation  of  the  road  safety  actions  related  to  the  national  road  safety 
budget. Specifically, the required funding for the planned infrastructure improvements over 
this period is available, and the related actions are on track.  

In  Ireland,  there  is  no  national  road  safety  observatory,  however,  activities  related  to  data, 
research  and  monitoring  have  been  taking  place  for  years  from  the  responsible  bodies.  All 
planned research and monitoring activities are well on track. Difficulties have arisen in relation 
to collision data sharing due to the need to ensure GDPR compliance. However, much progress 
has been made in 2024 to resolve the governance issues related to the sharing of the collision 
data. 

The  implementation  progress  of  the  actions  for  the  remaining  two  areas  of  the  road  safety 
management  pillar  is  assessed  as  delayed.  Regarding  the  area  of  national  road  safety 
authority,  there  is  a  delay  in  the  establishment  of  Road  Safety  Working  Together  Groups 
(RSTWGs)  by  some  local  authorities.  Also,  due  to  resource  constraints,  not  all  existing 
RSTWGs  have  been  adequately  staffed  and  supported  to  function  equally  effectively. 
Furthermore, there have been mixed levels of progress in the implementation of the National 
Cycle Network Plan.  

As  regards  road  safety  legislation,  not  all  planned  legislative  changes  will  have  been 
implemented within the anticipated timeframes, as these procedures are proving to be more 
time-consuming.  However,  they  are  planned  to  be  completed  in  the  long-term.  Thus,  some 
actions  have  to  be  postponed  until  after  2025,  such  as  the  consolidation  of  road  traffic 
legislation, which has now been resourced with a dedicated project team.  

Safe Road User Behaviour 

In relation to the pillar of Safe Road User Behaviour, Ireland starts from a medium level in 
2021 in all road safety areas, except the area of vulnerable road users, the baseline of which is 
assessed as low.  

11 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Table 15.7: Self-reported assessment of implementation progress of measures related to road 
user behaviour 

B2 

Safe Road User Behaviour 

1 

2 

3 

4 

5 

6 

Enforcement 

Education 

New drivers training 

Communication campaigns 

Measures for vulnerable road users 

Measures for professional drivers 

Baseline 
Assessment (2021) 

Progress 
(2021-2024) 

medium 

medium 

medium 

medium 

low 

medium 

on track 

on track 

delayed 

on track 

on track 

delayed 

Based on the self-reported assessment, during the period 2021-2024, actions in all road safety 
areas are on track, except those regarding novice drivers training and professional drivers, 
which have been delayed.  

Enforcement activities (road policing and commercial vehicle/driving enforcement) have been 
a long tradition in Ireland. The introduction of improved roadside drug testing, improved police 
access to data on the roadside, and an improved penalty point system are among the highlights 
for the 2021-2024 phase of the strategy. The development of a national strategy for camera-
based  enforcement  is  underway,  which  will  ensure  the  necessary  structures,  funding  and 
governance  arrangements  in  place  to  support  consistent  and  planned  rollout  of  camera 
enforcement.  Also,  a  High-Level  Strategic  Oversight  Group  on  road  policing  has  been 
established. 

Furthermore, education activities have been ongoing for a long time in Ireland. The related 
road  safety  actions  include  school  programmes,  and  collaboration  with  other  organisations, 
particularly in the area of driving for work, which are well on track. In 2024, the Road Safety 
Authority launched a new, optional road safety programme for schools to deliver to students 
generally between the ages of 15 and 16. During the initial rollout phase of the new programme 
in  autumn  2024,  demand  for  the  programme  from  schools  far  exceeded  the  target  and  149 
teachers representing 134 schools have now been trained to deliver the content compared to a 
target of 30 schools.. 

Communication activities are an area of road safety with a long history as well. Evidence-
based  communication  campaigns  are  used  to  ensure  that  the  right  group  of  road  users  are 
targeted, at the right time, using the most effective communication channels.  

Activities  for  vulnerable  road  users  are  also  on  track  and  include  a  combination  of 
education/awareness campaigns, improvements to active travel infrastructure, use of CCTV on 
buses, improved bus stops and cycling training programmes. More attention and investment 
are devoted to the active mobility and public transport, which is also coordinated with climate 
action efforts. 

On the other hand, the implementation of actions related to the training and testing of new 
drivers  has  have  been  delayed.  The  driver  training  curriculum  needs  to  be  updated  and 
strengthened,  but  this  has  encountered  delays  due  to  funding  constraints.  Similarly,  the 
incidence of learners holding a third or subsequent learner permit remains high. Again, partially 

12 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
due to funding constraints, to develop the required systems to tackle this issue meaningfully, 
progress on this action has been delayed. It is noted, however, that fees for a range of services 
offered by the Road Safety Authority were increased with effect from 1 January 2025, the first 
such increases since 2012. The additional revenue generated by these increases should help to 
alleviate  some  of  the  financial  constraints  faced  in  recent  years  and  allow  for  increased 
investment  and  pace  of  delivery  in  relation  to  both  the  curriculum  review  and  incidence  of 
multiple learner permits. 

Delay is also reported in the implementation of measures relating to professional drivers. The 
road safety strategy includes mainly legislation and enforcement actions for this area. However, 
some activities had to be deferred to post 2025 due to time or resource issues. For example, 
Action  116  requires  the  examination  of  the  feasibility  of  creating  a  register  of  disqualified 
commercial drivers’ licences, that will be accessible to  employers. However, this had to  be 
deferred  to  post  2025,  due  to  the  time  and  resources  needed  to  fully  assess  the  legal 
requirements to support it. Also under Action 160, recommendations for legislative changes in 
relation to maximum driving and minimum resting times for professional drivers were made. 
The paper with the recommendations has been submitted to the Department of Transport for 
consideration and their agreement is pending. A related project is likely to be included in Phases 
2 or 3 of the Action Plan. 

Safe Speeds 

Regarding the Safe Speeds pillar, based on the self-reported assessment, Ireland starts from a 
medium level in all related road safety areas, except the update of speed limits. Actions of all 
areas are on track, except those regarding the update of speed limits, which have been delayed, 
mainly due to the time needed to introduce legislation for the speed limit review. The necessary 
legislation to implement safer default speed limits on rural roads, national secondary roads and 
urban roads was enacted in April 2024 and will now be implemented in phases, starting with 
the speed limit on many rural roads changing to 60km/h in early 2025. As local authorities have 
significant  devolved power in  respect  of speed  limits  within  their areas, making changes to 
speed limits across all counties has proven to be a complex and time-consuming process, but 
experience  gained  form  the  change  of  default  limits  on  rural  roads  will  inform  subsequent 
changes. 

Table 15.8: Self-reported assessment of implementation progress of measures related to safe 
speeds 

B3 

Safe Speeds 

1 

2 

3 

4 

Update of speed limits 

Enforcing speed limits 

Campaigns on speeding 

Monitoring speeding 

Baseline 
Assessment (2021) 

Progress 
(2021-2024) 

low 

medium 

medium 

medium 

delayed 

on track 

on track 

on track 

In terms of enforcement and monitoring of speeding, GoSafe speed vans have been in place for 
many  years.  This  is  expanded  to  trials  of  average  speed  cameras  under  the  umbrella  of  a 
national camera strategy, which is currently being prepared. The number of police checks is to 
be  increased  since  April  2024,  a  new  policy  has  been  in  effect  requiring  all  uninformed 
members of the national police service to conduct 30 minutes of high-visibility roads policing 
per shift, subject to operational demands.  

13 

 
 
 
 
 
 
Also, communication activities concerning speeding have been conducted for many years 
and they are included in the communication strategy, ensuring such communications are well 
targeted, and evidence based. 

Safe Roads 

Regarding the Safe Roads pillar, the baseline is assessed as low for all road safety areas, except 
the motorways safety management and road design standards, which start from a medium level.  

Table 15.9: Self-reported assessment of implementation progress of measures related to safe 
roads 

B4 

Safe Roads 

1 

2 

3 

4 

5 

6 

City mobility & safety plans 

Urban infrastructure for VRUs 

Rural roads safety interventions 

Motorways safety management 

Road design standards 

Road safety audit and inspection 

Baseline 
Assessment (2021) 

Progress 
(2021-2024) 

low 

low 

low 

medium 

medium 

low 

on track 

on track 

on track 

delayed 

on track 

on track 

During the period 2021-2024, all actions of this pillar were on track, except those related to the 
motorways safety management, which have been delayed.  

More specifically, each city develops its own development plan for transport and mobility, 
with  focus  being  given  on  the  improvement  of  infrastructure  for  active  travel  and  public 
transport in order to support safe active travel according to the Road Safety Strategy and the 
Climate Action Plan. Also, Action 58 requires a review of the effectiveness of the Heavy Good 
Vehicle (HGV) ban in Dublin City with a view to consider similar workable initiatives in other 
urban  cities.  Although  discussions  on  the  success  of  the  Dublin  scheme  have  been  held,  it 
cannot be replicated in the short and medium term in other major cities due to the resources 
required.  

The  actions  concerning  the  urban  infrastructure  for  VRUs  are  on  track  and  include 
development of active travel infrastructure and plans, awareness campaigns and community 
engagement.  

Safety interventions on rural roads are mainly focused on the improvement of rural bus stops 
and engagement with local groups/clubs to raise awareness on road safety issues. 

Regarding the area of road design standards of this pillar, a design manual for urban roads 
and streets was already in place before the start of the current strategy. Also, a cycle design 
manual  has  been  completed  since  2021.  Training  of  engineers  and  project  managers  on 
application of the guidelines is ongoing.  

Also,  a  safety  rating  indicator  for  the  road  network  is  under  development,  which  will  be 
exploited for road safety audits and inspections.  

14 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Finally,  as  regards  the  management  of motorways  safety,  the  starting  level  is  assessed  as 
medium, with motorway safety measures having been in place for many years. The road safety 
strategy  focuses  mainly  on  communication  campaigns  on  motorway  safety  measures. 
However, these campaigns require cross-organisational funding, which is the main reason for 
the delay in their implementation.  

Safe Vehicles 

In relation to the pillar of Safe Vehicles, Ireland starts from a low level in all related areas, 
except the technical vehicle inspections. During the period 2021-2024, all related actions were 
on track. 

Table 15.10: Self-reported assessment of implementation progress of measures related to safe 
vehicles 

B5 

Safe Vehicles 

1 

2 

3 

4 

Fleet renewal 

Promotion of ADAS 

Technical vehicle inspection 

Automation preparation 

Baseline 
Assessment (2021) 

Progress 
(2021-2024) 

low 

low 

medium 

low 

on track 

on track 

on track 

on track 

For the fleet renewal and promotion of ADAS, a focus has been given on promoting Euro 
NCAP 5-star rating and new technologies in vehicles through campaigns.  

As regards technical vehicle inspections, the road safety strategy focuses on strengthening the 
vehicle testing regime, for example, testing ADAS technologies, increasing the frequency of 
testing  of  cars  less  than  10  years  old,  examining  the  feasibility  of  testing  motorbikes  and 
agricultural vehicles. It is also planned to deliver a system allowing a vehicle’s testing history 
to be available online, however, the required resources for its development are not available. 

Concerning the area of automation preparation, the development of a Strategy for Connected 
and Automated Mobility is underway.  

Post Crash Care 

Regarding the Post-Crash Care pillar, Ireland starts from a self-reported low level in 2021 in 
the area of reducing Emergency Medical Services (EMS) reaction time, while from a medium 
level in the area of supporting injured people. All actions of this pillar are on track.  

Table 15.11: Self-reported assessment of implementation progress of measures related to post 
crash care 

B6 

Post Crash Care 

1 

2 

Reduce EMS reaction time 

Support people injured 

Baseline 
Assessment (2021) 

low 

medium 

Progress 
(2021-2024) 

on track 

on track 

Regarding the reduction of EMS reaction time, a working group has been established to make 
recommendations on improving overall emergency response time. Additionally, a pre-hospital 

15 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
trauma triage tool has been developed and is being rolled out to  ensure patients with major 
trauma are brought to a major Trauma Centre if within 45 minutes of one. Trauma facilities 
across Ireland are also being improved. 

For the support of injured people following road crashes, clinical pathways to rehabilitation 
for trauma patients are already in place. The pre-hospital trauma triage tool, mentioned above, 
is being rolled out. Also, the Rehabilitation Needs Assessment and Rehabilitation Prescription 
have  been  implemented  at  the  Major  Trauma  Centres.  Work  on  providing  emotional  and 
psychological care for victims, families and emergency responders is under way.  

4.2.  Best Practices 

A series of best practices is available for Ireland: 

Road Safety Management: 

•  An inter-agency Legislative Enabler Group has been set up to ensure the promotion 
of  cross-cutting  legislative  issues  affecting  action  progress.  The  work  of  this  group 
facilitated  the  Road  Traffic  Act  2024,  which  sought  to  target  dangerous  driving 
behaviours in a systemic manner. 

•  An inter-agency Data Enabler Group was put in place to resolve cross-organisational 
data  -sharing  issues,  with  its  work  successfully  delivering  an  agreement  with  the 
national Data Protection Commission on the sharing of collision data and the necessary 
legislative changes to effect that agreement now underway. 

Safe Road User Behaviour: 

•  Legislation to be enacted to ensure that multiple penalty points are issued where more 

• 

than one offence is detected.   
Ireland's state-funded bus company applies random alcohol and drug testing to all its 
drivers. An approved alcohol interlock system is now available on the Irish market. 
•  The use of Automatic Number-Plate Recognition (ANPR) technology and a Mobility 
App  ensure  that  the  police  service  has  increased  data  available  at  the  roadside, 
including access to vehicle taxation, insurance and driver disqualification information. 
•  “Driving for Work” education material is made available through an online platform 
on  which  the  Irish  Road  Safety  Authority,  the  Health  and  Safety  Authority  and  “an 
Garda  Siochana”  (Ireland’s  national  police  and  security  service)  collaborated.  Also, 
annual conferences are provided by this group. 

•  A  multi-annual  Communication  Strategy  has  been  developed  to  ensure  that 

communications are targeted, and evidence based in the medium term. 

•  The  national  cycling  training  programme  reached  40,000  participants  in  2024, 
including 9,000 participants from schools in disadvantaged areas and 1,000 participants 
with disabilities. 

Safe Speeds:  

•  A cross-sectoral working group was established early 2024 to take forward the speed 

limit review as soon as possible, with the legislation enacted in April 2024. 

•  A safety Camera Strategy is being prepared jointly with key stakeholders to ensure 
that camera enforcement will take place in  a holistic manner. This  includes trials  of 
average speed cameras in various locations around the country. 

16 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Safe Roads: 

•  Dublin City diverted HGV traffic from the city centre via a tunnel. Local authorities 
are provided with templates to allow them to create their own road safety plans which 
mirror the national road safety strategy. 

•  “Safe Routes to School” programme ensures a holistic, stakeholder-led approach to 

assessing and improving safety at the front of school gates. 

•  Partnering with local/rural sports clubs to raise awareness of road safety issues. 
•  A graduate certificate course on road design is developed. 

4.3.  Gaps 

The main gap reported in the implementation of Ireland’s Road Safety Action Plan (Phase 1) 
is funding constraints. This was reported as the main reason for delaying or deferring various 
actions across all pillars, including: 

• 

the establishment of RSTWGs in several local regions and the appropriate staffing of 
the existing RSTWGs, 

•  updating the driver curriculum or addressing multiple learner permits, 
• 
implementation of city safety plans, 
•  expanding the active travel infrastructure, 
•  development of an online system that allows the access to vehicle testing history, 
• 

further  work  to  provide  emotional  and  psychological  care  for  victims,  families  and 
emergency responders. 

Also, funding constraints affect the depth and breadth of some interventions applied, such 
as educational initiatives and communication activities. Following once-off measures in 2023 
and 2024 to increase investment in these interventions, specific funding has been ringfenced in 
2025 to sustain increased levels of education and public awareness building. 

Another important gap reported in the implementation of some measures concerns legislative 
changes. Where legislative changes were required, it proved to be a time-consuming process 
which  caused  delays  in  progressing  the  implementation  of  specific  areas  of  the  strategy. 
Examples  of  gaps  related  to  legislation  concern  the  data  sharing  process,  with  the  relevant 
national  legislation being a barrier to  sharing crash data with  the responsible bodies for the 
implementation  of  interventions.  In  addition,  the  application,  use  and  testing  of  automated 
vehicles depends on the existence of relevant legislation at national level.  

Both the above-mentioned gaps (resource constraints and legislation) are also mentioned in the 
area  of  enforcement.  Available  resources  affect  the  extent  of  technology  used  to  facilitate 
enforcement.  Also,  the  recruitment  of  additional  personnel  for  road  policing  is  needed  and 
progressing, while the 30-minute measure for all uniformed members of the police will further 
contribute  to  visibility.  Furthermore,  legislative  changes  need  to  be  made  to  allow  for  the 
extended  use  of  a  camera-based  enforcement  for  traffic  violations  other  than  speeding,  and 
significant  resources,  particularly  with  regard  to  the  technology,  background  support  and 
enforcement staff are required. Another gap referred in this area is the capacity of courts system 
to support efficiently enforcement activities. 

Moreover,  the  legislative  changes  depend  in  some  cases  on  the  available  resources.  For 
example, the examination of developing a register of disqualified commercial drivers’ licences, 
which  will  be  accessible  to  employers,  has  been  deferred  to  post  2025  due  to  the  time  and 

17 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
resources needed to fully assess the legal requirements. 

Finally, a reported gap in the pillar of post-crash care is the limited number of Major Trauma 
Centres in Ireland at present. 

5. Conclusions and Recommendations 

In the Road Safety Strategy 2030 of Ireland, targets of halving the numbers of road fatalities 
and serious injuries by 2030 were set. Interim targets for 2024 were also included, with the 
average of the 2017-2019 figures being used as the baseline. The Road Safety Strategy includes 
three phases of action plans (Phase 1 2021-2024; Phase 2 2025-2027; Phase 3 2028-2030). In 
the action plan of Phase 1, 190 actions (54 high impact actions and 136 support actions) divided 
in 7 road safety areas have been planned. 

In 2024, Ireland was among the best performing countries in the European Union in terms 
of fatality rates (7th lowest fatality rate).  However, between 2019 and 2024, the number of 
fatalities increased by 23%, while the number of serious injuries decreased by 9%.  

Regarding  implementation  of  the  road  safety  actions  foreseen  in  the  national  road  safety 
strategy for the period 2021-2024, progress has been made in most road safety areas based 
on  the  self-reported  assessment,  while  some  delays  mainly  due  to  legislation  and  resource 
constraints are reported. Out of the 26 road safety areas examined, 20 are well on track, while 
the remaining 6 have been delayed. 

Finally, in terms of number of fatalities and serious injuries, Ireland is currently not in 
line to meet the targets set for 2030. The possible way forward to address this could be by:  

•  accelerating the implementation of the delayed measures, 
• 

identifying  relevant  actions  in  the  phase  2  action  plan,  ensuring  that  the  focus  is  on 
transformative actions that are resourced adequately to deliver in the timeline proposed. 

18