Waterford Council launches Road Safety Action Plan 2024-2030

Waterford City and County Council, in conjunction with the Waterford Road Safety Working Together Group (WRSWTG) recently launched the Waterford Road Safety Action Plan 2024-2030.

In collaboration with An Garda Síochána, Road Safety Authority, Health Service Executive and Transport Infrastructure Ireland, the six-year action plan is designed to improve road safety for all road users.

Speaking at the launch of the plan, Sean McKeown, Chief Executive of Waterford City and County Council said, “The objective of this action plan is, simply put, to make our roads safer for everyone who uses them.

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“From 2013 to 2023, Waterford tragically lost 35 people on its roads. In addition, according to the Road Safety Authority, for every one fatality, nine individuals endure life-altering injuries. That number can never be low enough. In fact the only acceptable number is zero.

“Aligning to the 2020 Programme for government commitment to achieve ‘Vision Zero’ - no fatalities or serious injuries on our roads by 2050 – the Safety Action Plan focuses on several key areas including safe roads, safe speeds, post-crash response and safe modes of transport.”

Sam Waide, CEO, Road Safety Authority said, “Ireland has made significant progress over the lifetime of previous road safety strategies. Since the launch of the first ever Road Safety Strategy in 1998, road deaths have declined by almost 70%. None of that progress could have been possible without our key stakeholders working together in a coordinated, strategic way.

“Reducing road deaths and serious injuries by 50% over the next decade is achievable. Vision Zero by 2050 is achievable. We can do it. Given our road safety journey to date, no target is too ambitious for us. The starting point is recognising that road deaths or serious injuries should not be the price to pay for our mobility.”

Through collective knowledge and experience the objectives of WRSWTG are to:

-Make the roads in County Waterford safer for all road users.
-Increase public awareness of road safety.
-Promote a collective sense of responsibility towards road safety.
-Enforce existing traffic legislation.
-Improve co-operation between the agencies represented on the Waterford Road Safety Working Together Group
-Support the principles of the National Road Safety Strategy 2020 – 2027