Road Collisions in Donegal
The latest facts and figures for County Donegal are available in the Road Safety Authority publication - RSA Donegal Road Collisions Facts 1996-2009.
Road fatalities in Donegal
| Fatalaties |
2000 |
2001 |
2002 |
2003 |
2004 |
2005 |
2006 |
2007 |
2008 |
2009 |
| Donegal |
18 |
14 |
20 |
23 |
29 |
27 |
19 |
22 |
18 |
14 |
Population in Donegal (census figures)
| Year |
1986 |
1991 |
1996 |
2002 |
2006 |
| Population |
129,664 |
128,117 |
129,994 |
137,575 |
147,264 |
| Ireland |
3,540,643 |
3,525,719 |
3,626,087 |
3,917,203 |
4,239,848 |
Size of Donegal
Donegal has an area of 483,042 hectares, equivalent to 1,193,621 acres.
Car ownership in Donegal
In 2009, there were 59,489 cars registered in County Donegal compared to 10 years ago when there were 36,851 registered. This follows the national trend, which demonstartes a continued increase in car ownership in the state with the number of registered motor vehicles and motor cycles increasing by 65% from 1,510,853 in 1998 to 2,497,568 in 2008.
Percentages of recorded accidents in Donegal 2000 - 2005
| Accident Type |
% Recorded |
Definition |
| Fatal |
2.2 |
At least one death |
| Serious |
6.4 |
Hospital stay required |
| Minor |
25 |
Treatment without hospital stay |
| Material damage |
66.4 |
Vehicle / material damage only |
Breakdown of primary collision type where recorded 2000 - 2005
Breakdown of primary contributory actions where recorded 2000 - 2005
According to the RSA’s Road Collision Facts (2009)
- The number of road collisions per 1,000 population in Donegal is 1.9 compared to the national average of 1.6.
- The number of road collisions per 1,000 registered vehicles in Donegal is 3.4, compared with a national average of 2.7.
- The number of road collisions per 10million vehicle kilometres of travel is 1.3 compared with a national average of 1.2.
Facts and Figures - Road safety
- Hit by a car at 60kph (40mph), 9 out of 10 pedestrians will be killed
- Hit by a car at 50kph (30mph), about half of pedestrians will be killed
- Hit by a car at 30kph (20mph), 9 out of 10 pedestrians will survive.
- A 50 km/h (30mph) impact is equivalent to dropping a car from the top of a 2-storey building
- A 100 km/h (60mph) impact is equivalent to dropping 11 storeys
- A 150 km/h (80mph) crash to almost 30 storeys
Research and international experience show that the frequency and severity of road crashes tend to decrease with reductions in average speed. A 1km/h decrease in average speed results typically in a 3% decrease in road crash frequency. (Source: European Transport Safety Council).
84% of people disapprove of speeding yet 69% do it.
A TNS Survey results show what we really think of our other half's driving - and many of us are scared and angered when our partners speed. The study reveals that among passengers over 60% believe that driving too fast increases the chances that their partner will crash. And emotions run high:
- 24% have felt angered by their significant other's speeding, which they think is 'irresponsible and stupid'.
- 20% are scared, and concerned that they and the driver could be killed or injured.
- 14% worried about the safety of other road users.
- 25% admit to pressing on an imaginary foot brake.
- Only 1% wanted their partners to drive faster.
The law of physics dictate that the higher the speed at impact, the more energy must be rapidly absorbed by hard metal, soft flesh and brittle bone.
Driving at an inappropriate speed is the cause of a quarter of all fatal crashes each year in Ireland. It reduces a driver's ability to steer safely around bends or when visibility is poor and extends the distance necessary to stop a vehicle safely.
A 50 km/h impact is equivalent to dropping a car from the top of a two-storey building, a 100 km/h impact is equivalent to dropping a car from eleven storeys.
Alcohol is a factor in 37% of all fatal accidents
At half the legal limit a driver is twice as likely to have a collision
At the legal limit a driver is six times more likely to have a collision
Were all drivers to observe a 50mg/100ml blood alcohol limit, fatalities would drop by 46%.
How Alcohol Affects Driving
All drivers are affected by drinking alcohol. Alcohol affects judgement, vision, co-ordination, and reaction time. It causes serious driving errors, such as:
- Increased reaction time to hazards.
- Driving too fast or too slow.
- Driving in the wrong lane.
- Running over the curb.
- Weaving.
- Quick, jerky starts.
- Not signalling, failure to use lights.
- Straddling lanes
- Running stop signs and red lights.
- Improper passing.
Blood alcohol level is determined by a number of factors:
- Type of drink and amount
- Gender
- Weight
- Constitution
- Individual drinking habits
- Whether food has been eaten
The same amount of alcohol consumed will result in different blood alcohol levels for different people.
A study conducted at Loughborough University in the UK has shown that for all vehicles about 4 in 10 fatal country crashes and close to 1 in 6 urban crashes are attributable to fatigue. The proportion of serious injury crashes due to fatigue is a little less.
Younger people (ages 16 to 29), especially males are a high risk group for driver fatigue.
Without a seat belt 3 out of 4 people will be killed or seriously injured in a 30-mph head-on crash.
In a crash at just 30 mph, an unrestrained child would be thrown forward with a force 30 to 60 times their body weight.
It is estimated that seatbelt wearing could reduce road fatalities and serious injuries by 40%.
Over 90% of adult front seat passengers and drivers wear seat belts, as do 66% of adult rear seat passengers.
More than two thirds of fatal pedestrian accidents happen during the hours of darkness. Although pedestrians can hear a car coming and see it's lights, it's driver may not see the pedestrian and certainly won't hear them.
In Ireland pedestrians have emerged as a highly vulnerable group on our roads - accounting for approximately one in every five fatalities annually.