Roads Policing Message - Pedestrian Safety

Pedestrian safety is a top priority for An Garda Síochána. Pedestrians are classified as vulnerable road users (VRUs) because they lack the structural protection of a vehicle. Tragically, there has been 141 pedestrians killed on our roads since the beginning of 2023

Year Pedestrian Fatalities

2023 46
2024 37
2025 46
2026* 12

*until 23.3.2026

Key Dangers and Risk Factors

A number of risk factors have been identified after examining the circumstances surrounding each of collision

Darkness and Visibility: More than two-thirds of fatal pedestrian collisions occur at night. Drivers often cannot see pedestrians in dark clothing until it is too late, even if the pedestrian can see the vehicle's lights.
Speeding: A pedestrian hit at 50 km/h has a 50% chance of survival, but this drops to just 10% if the speed is 60 km/h. Drivers slowing down, saves lives.
Alcohol Impairment: Far too many pedestrian fatalities involve the consumption of alcohol by the pedestrian. Alcohol decreases your ability to judge the distance and speed of vehicles using the roads, thus putting you more at risk.
Vulnerable Demographics: Older pedestrians (70+) and children are disproportionately affected. Children's judgment of speed and distance does not fully develop until approximately age 12. One in six pedestrians that were killed were aged (70) or above and (1) in (5) were aged under 20.
Distractions: Mobile phone usage is a major factor; 88% of surveyed pedestrians agree that their peers are often distracted by phones while walking.

Steps for Staying Safe

To mitigate these risks, we would recommend several immediate safety actions that people could take:

Action Category	Specific Steps to Take
Visibility	Wear high-visibility or reflective clothing at night; carry a torch on rural roads. Stay safe and be seen at all times.
Positioning	Always use a footpath if available. If none exists, walk on the right-hand side, facing oncoming traffic.
Crossing	Use designated crossings (Zebra, Pelican, etc.). If none exist, find a well-lit area, look right-left-right, and listen for traffic.
Awareness	Remove or lower the volume of headphones when crossing. Make eye contact with drivers to ensure you have been seen. Don’t assume that traffic will stop even if you have the right of way crossing the road. Always stay switched on to your surroundings.
Predictability	Avoid crossing between parked cars or at bends where visibility is restricted for both you and the driver.

Our roads can be a dangerous place but if all of us pay closer attention to what we do and how we do it, we can all make the roads safer for ourselves and the other people who are using this shared space.

One wrong step could cost you your life so please do all you can to stay safe.