Editorial: E-scooters and phones means fresh thinking needed on road safety - Kilkenny Live

The alarming rise in the number of road fatalities this year may be as a result of a number of different factors, but one thing is for sure — something must be done.

Deaths on Irish roads have reached 130 for the first nine months of the year, and the rate is now its highest in six years. It has prompted a national speed limit review, with urban areas and secondary roads expected to see speed limits lowered. 

In many cases, those who have lost their lives were vulnerable road users. Thirty of the fatalities so far this year were pedestrians - a shocking statistic.

There’s also a new category now relating to e-scooters. Three e-scooter drivers/passengers have lost their lives to date this year. As the devices grow more popular and their usage become more common, it seems likely this category will increase.

There appears to be little regulation around how these new road users operate, on roads and pavements. In many cases, users have little or no personal protection equipment or helmet, and at the speeds they are capable of, it is a recipe for disaster.

That, coupled with the fact they are hard to see for drivers as they can appear suddenly and are virtually soundless, means extra caution is required. How we regulate and deal with these vehicles will require careful thought as they appear in increasing numbers.

There is also no doubt that mobile phone use while driving remains a major problem. Some people seem to be simply unable to go more than a few minutes without checking their phone or scrolling through social media.

It’s all too common to see cars driving down streets, navigating pedestrian crossings etc, with a distracted driver’s face looking down at their lap, their face illuminated by the screen’s glow.

The number of road traffic offences recorded for using a mobile phone while driving in the Kilkenny/Carlow Division totaled 551 from January 1 to August 29 - already higher than last year’s figure of 514 for the complete year.

While drink driving has become appropriately stigmatised in recent years, there is not yet the same taboo around this sort of phone use. That needs to change or things are going to get worse.