Road Safety Authority calls on public to sign up to European Road Safety Charter
ERSC 03.10.2022- Charter targets 50% reduction in road deaths and serious injuries by 2030
- Announcement comes at start of Irish Road Safety Week
At a launch event taking place at Europe House today, the Road Safety Authority (RSA) issued a call for individuals and organisations to sign up to the European Road Safety Charter (ERSC). The charter commits members to an EU target of 50% reduction in road deaths and serious injuries by 2030.
The charter is open to individuals and organisations to join, whether they already have extensive experience with road safety initiatives or are just making a start. The ERSC offers members access to the resources and tools necessary to help them in their journey and reach targets to reduce road casualties and serious injuries by 50% by 2030. The public are encouraged to join the charter by registering online: LINK
The RSA has been appointed as National Relay for the ERSC in Ireland, a role that includes the promotion of the ERSC and increasing membership and commitments at national level. In addition to this the National Relay encourages knowledge sharing of road safety initiatives and the exchange of good practices among signatories in Ireland, urging both civil society and institutions to adopt effective measures that improve road safety.
Speaking about the announcement, Sam Waide, Chief Executive of the Road Safety Authority (RSA) – said: “Today marks the start of Irish Road Safety week and we are calling on organisations and members of the public to join us in signing up to the European Road Safety Charter. By signing the charter, you are pledging yourself or your organisation to take action to meet EU target of decreasing road deaths and serious injuries by 50% by the year 2030. The Charter is open to individuals and organisations across a range of sectors whether you are a haulage company responsible for large transport fleets, a vehicle insurance company, or an organisation whose employees drive for work. In fact, your employees don’t have to drive for work to take part in the charter. As more people take up active modes of travel you might have team members who walk or cycle to and from work, or your organisation might simply want to contribute to improving road safety in Ireland, playing your part in saving lives and preventing serious injury on our roads.”
Commenting on the announcement, Sarah Lynch, Policy Officer, Road Safety at the European Commission said: “One of the main goals for the new phase of the European Road Safety Charter is to bring new energy to the network, in part through a stronger network of National Relays in each of the participating countries. Ireland has a long-standing appreciation for the value of collaboration, partnership and learning from international best practice in refining its approach to policy design and development. We are delighted to have the Road Safety Authority acting as the Irish national relay for the European Road Safety Charter.
The Charter is the largest civil society platform on road safety. To date, more than 3,500 public and private entities have committed to the Charter and carried out road safety actions and initiatives targeted at their members, employees and the rest of civil society. Together, these various entities form a community in which members can share their expertise and actions, inspiring and learning from each other.”
The European Road Safety Charter, led by the European Commission, is the largest civil society platform on road safety with the mission of developing a road safety community with an ultimate vision of reducing deaths and serious injuries on the EU roads.
Around 3,500 companies, associations, local authorities, research institutions, universities, and schools have committed to the Charter, and their actions have strengthened road safety culture across Europe, improved knowledge about the causes of collisions, and helped to create preventative measures and solutions.
In 2021, Ireland was fourth in the European Union in terms of road safety with 27 deaths per million inhabitants.
Today’s event marks the start of Irish Road Safety Week (3rd – 10th November). The RSA is hosting a range of events and activities across the country to promote road safety in local communities, schools and workplaces. To find out how you can get involved, go to RSA.ie for further information.
Notes to editor:
For more information about the European Road Safety Charter please visit: LINK
To date in 2022 a total of 116 lives have been lost on the road. This is up 11 compared to the same date last year.
Ireland’s Road Safety Strategy
Ireland’s fifth government Road Safety Strategy 2021-2030 aims to reduce the number of deaths and serious injuries on Irish roads by 50% over the next 10 years. This means reducing deaths on Ireland’s roads annually from 144 to 72 or lower and reducing serious injuries from 1,259 to 630 or lower by 2030.
The strategy is the first step in achieving the 2020 Programme for Government commitment of bringing Ireland to ‘Vision Zero’. This is to eliminate all road deaths and serious injuries on Irish roads by the year 2050.