Better roads and a better road network were the most popular factors in improving road safety, cited by over four in ten (44%) respondents, while nearly one quarter (23%) felt that there should be better signage on roads.
More than one third (35%) of respondents felt that we need to reduce speed to improve road safety, while over one quarter (27%) felt that there should be more appropriate speed limits to the type of road/motorway.
Close to four in ten (37%) felt that there should be better education in schools on road safety, including the use of refresher training and the extension of the novice driving period.
Nearly two thirds (64%) of road traffic collisions in 2021 involved a car with another car, down almost three percentage points on the same period in 2019.
Less than six in ten (57%) road traffic collisions were reported to An Garda Síochána and/or insurance company in 2021.
In one in six (17%) road traffic collisions the respondent sustained injuries, while for just one in fifteen (7%) collisions other persons suffered an injury.
This publication is the third in a series of four publications presenting the results of the National Travel Survey (NTS), which was carried out in the Quarter 4, 2021. This publication focusses on road safety and passenger mobility.
The first publication in the series ‘Travel Behaviour Trends 2021’ which was published on 10 June 2022, reported on the travel behaviour of respondents, including when they are most likely to travel, preferred modes of transport and purpose of their trips, distance, and duration. The second publication in the series ‘Sustainable Mobility and Transport 2021’ was published on 01 July 2022 and reported on sustainable mobility such as walking and cycling as modes of travel, and sustainable transport including public transport and electric vehicles, and the facilitators and inhibitors to these modes of transport. The fourth and last publication ‘Impact of COVID-19 on Travel Behaviour’ will concentrate on how COVID-19 has impacted our travel behaviour, and will be published on 19 July 2022.
Respondents to the survey were asked how we could make the roads safer. Better roads and a better road network were identified as the most popular factors in improving road safety, cited by over four in ten (44%) respondents. This was the most common factor in improving road safety cited by both females (46%) and males (42%). Nearly four in ten (37%) felt that there could be better education on road safety in schools, including refresher courses/testing and an increased novice period for full driving licence. Reducing speed to improve road safety was cited by just over one third of respondents (35%). See Table 1.1.
Note that respondents could select more than one option.
Almost a third of females (32%) were in favour of additional sanctions for speeding and other offences, compared to just over a quarter of males (27%), with the difference between males and females particularly pronounced for those in the younger age group of 18-29 years. Here, approaching a third (31%) of females aged 18-29 years were in favour of additional sanctions, compared to only 17% of young males. See Table 1.1.
Nearly three in ten (27%) respondents aged 18 years and over felt that there should be more appropriate speed limits, 29% of females compared with one quarter (25%) of males, while 23% felt that there should be better signage on roads, a concern voiced by nearly one quarter (24%) of females and 22% of males. See Table 1.1 and Figure 1.1.
| Total males | Total females | |
| Better roads | 42.2 | 45.5 |
| Better education | 35.1 | 38.3 |
| Reduce speed | 32.9 | 36.6 |
| More cycleways and pedestrian routes | 32.7 | 35.5 |
| Tougher sanctions for speeding and other offences | 26.7 | 32.2 |
| More apt speed limits | 24.6 | 29.1 |
| Better signage on roads | 22.1 | 24.1 |
Analysis by degree of urbanisation shows that depending on where the respondent lives, some road safety factors are deemed more important than others. Almost half (49%) of persons residing in thinly populated areas voiced the need for better roads compared with just 35% of people living in densely populated areas. See Table 1.2.
Over one third (34%) of respondents cited the need for more cycleways and pedestrian routes, reducing traffic and more pedestrian zones in towns and cities to improve road safety. This was particularly so in densely populated areas (36%) compared with just over three in ten (30%) for persons living in thinly populated areas. See Table 1.2.
One in twenty (5%) Dubliners said that there was a need for greater sanctions for e-scooters and also for cyclists (such as for poor visibility, not wearing protective gear, travelling on footpaths, etc). This compares with just 1% of persons residing outside Dublin. See Table 1.2.
Just short of 3% of respondents were involved in a road traffic collision in the previous 12 months in 2021, as in 2019. In 2021, one in twenty (5%) young males aged 18 to 29 years were involved in one road traffic collision, compared with 4% in 2019. See Table 1.3.
Nearly two thirds (64%) of road traffic collisions in 2021 involved a car with another car, down almost four percentage points on the same period in 2019, balanced by an increase in collisions involving a car and a van/lorry (up to 16% of collisions in 2021 from 11% in 2019). In over eight in ten (85%) of these car-on-car collisions, the respondent was the driver of one of the cars, while for one in seven (15%) the respondent was the front seat passenger. See Table 1.4 and Figure 1.2.
Collisions involving a pedestrian with motorcycle/electric personal mobility vehicle accounted for 3% of collisions in 2021, and in all of these collisions the respondent was the pedestrian involved. See Tables 1.4 and 1.5.
| 2019 | 2021 | |
| Car with another car | 67.1 | 64.3 |
| Car with motorcycle/electric personal mobility vehicle | 2.2 | 3 |
| Car with bicycle | 3.7 | 4.5 |
| Car with van/lorry | 10.9 | 16 |
| Car with pedestrian | 1.3 | 1.1 |
| Pedestrian with bicycle | 3.2 | 0.7 |
| No other vehicle involved | 7.2 | 7.9 |
Less than six in ten (57%) road traffic collisions were reported to An Garda Síochána and/or insurance company in 2021. See Table 1.6.
In one in six (17%) road traffic collisions, the respondent sustained injuries, while for just one in fifteen (7%) collisions, other persons suffered an injury. See Table 1.6.
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Statistician's Comment
Maureen Delamere, Statistician, commented "When this survey was carried out, there were still varying levels of COVID-19 in the community, with related restrictions in place.
Respondents were asked how road safety could be improved. Better roads and a better road network were identified as the most popular factors in improving road safety - identified by over four in ten (44%) respondents, followed by better education (37%) on road safety in our schools and colleges, including the use of refresher training and the extension of the novice driving period.
Over one third (35%) of respondents felt that measures such as reduce speed limit in built up areas, more speed cameras and check points need to be introduced to reduce speed on our roads, while three in ten said that there should be tougher sanctions for speeding and other offences such as for driving under the influence of drink/drugs, road worthiness of vehicles, etc.
More cycleways and pedestrian routes, reducing traffic and more pedestrian zones in towns and cities was particularly voiced by people living in densely populated areas (36%) compared to three in ten (30%) for persons living in thinly populated areas.
Looking at the results by region, we can see that close to one third of persons in Dublin (32%) cited better roads as something to improve on, compared to almost half (49%) of those living outside Dublin. Over one third (34%) felt that there needs to be more cycleways and pedestrian routes, with persons in Dublin (32%) noting this less than those living outside Dublin (35%).
Despite the pandemic (data collected in Q4 2021), with reduced traffic on our roads, the incidence of road collisions remains at 3% of respondents interviewed, as in 2019 (pre-pandemic). Nearly two thirds (64%) of these collisions involved a car with another car, while one in twelve (8%) were single vehicle collisions with no other person involved.
One in twenty (5%) young males aged 18 to 29 years were involved in one road traffic collision in 2021, compared with 4% in 2019. While young males report a higher rate of road collisions than young females (3%), overall, more females (3%) report being involved in a road collision than males (2%)".