RSA and An Garda Siochana carrying out road side checks today

A European road safety initiative is being launched today, Wednesday, with the aim of improving road safety and tackle challenges such as speeding, infrastructure safety and improving the safety of pedestrians and cyclists.

Twelve EU Member States, including Ireland, are joining forces to share smart ideas for improving road safety, as part of a new EU-funded project, launching today in Brussels.

As part of the intiative road safety checks are being carried out today, throughout the country by the RSA and An Garda Siochana.

Today, we are launching the #RoadSafetyExchange: 12 EU countries ( ) are teaming up to improve #RoadSafety & tackle challenges such as speeding, infrastructure safety & improving the safety of& .
More https://t.co/X0jypYcuKa pic.twitter.com/NFm60Cyjjy

— EU Transport (@Transport_EU) October 9, 2019

Although European roads are the safest in the world and although road safety has improved greatly in recent decades, the number of deaths and serious injuries on our roads is still far too high. In 2018, there were over 25,000 fatalities in road accidents. While this is a decrease of 21% compared to 2010, it represents only a 1% decrease compared to 2017.  

There are important differences in the road safety performance of the different EU Member States. The three-year EU Road Safety Exchange project aims to tackle these disparities and will link up experts from Austria, Bulgaria, France, Greece, Ireland, Lithuania, the Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Spain and Sweden. 

Our Vehicle Inspectors and An Garda Síochána are conducting road side checks across the country today to inspect tyres on all cars, trucks and buses as part of #TyreSafetyDay. These defective tyres were spotted on vehicles in Leitrim and Limerick this morning. pic.twitter.com/2iFZWqj6ul

— RSA Ireland (@RSAIreland) October 9, 2019

Transport experts from the twelve participating countries will work together to share best practice on reducing speed, building safe infrastructure and improve enforcement, data collection, as well as the safety of pedestrians and cyclists in urban areas.

European Commissioner for Transport Violeta Bulc commented: “We have to work together to get to Vision Zero   – zero deaths and injuries on our roads by 2050 - and this means twinning and  exchange of  best practices. The EU Road Safety Exchange project will provide valuable help to initially six EU Member States keen to improve their road safety performance over a three-year period. In combining a high level of political involvement with lasting exchanges between national experts, this project is a unique opportunity to tackle challenges including speeding, infrastructure safety and improving the safety of vulnerable road users such as pedestrians and cyclists.”

The project is being managed by the European Transport Safety Council (ETSC), a leading NGO on transport safety that works with road safety experts from across the EU. 

Antonio Avenoso, Executive Director of ETSC said: “This project is all about showing how effective road safety policies work in the real world.  We will bring together  experts so they can help each other figure out how to deliver similar results in their own countries. We’re delighted that so many Member States were keen to get on board, and we can’t wait to see the results.”