Make roads safer asks victims group
A grieving father has said a lot more needs to be done to make Irish roads safer following four separate deaths on Cork roads in the past week.
Tony Johnstone, whose son Harry was killed in a crash in June of last year outside Bandon is calling for more rapid action on the goals outlined in the Road Safety Authority’s (RSA) Vision Zero strategy.
A board member for the Irish Road Victims Association (IRVA), Mr Johnstone said all road traffic collisions are preventable.
“There's an awful lot needs doing to fix things but unfortunately none of these things can change overnight either,” he said.
“When I looked at the statistics today, I think we're only one death down or two deaths down on this time last year. A lot more needs to be done.
"For example, if somebody causes a fatal road traffic collision because they failed to yield and turned across someone's path. If they were obeying the rules of the road, it wouldn't have happened.
“There's not a road traffic collision that happens that you can really say is an accident. They're all preventable. Somebody's making an error for it to happen in the first place.
“A lot more heightened awareness needs to be out there,” he added. Since last Wednesday, four people have been killed in separate road traffic collisions in Cork alone, and two more brought to hospital. A fifth person died during a motocross event on Sunday in Cork city. The deaths make this one of the deadliest periods for Cork roads in recent history and bring Cork’s 2025 road death toll to 14. In 2024, a total of 19 people were killed on Cork’s roads.
Last Wednesday, one man was seriously injured and another treated for non-life-threatening injuries following a crash on the N73 near Mallow.
The following day, a female cyclist (20s) was killed following a collision on Albert Street in Cork city. The same day, a man in his 40s was killed in a collision near Ballycotton.
On Saturday, a pedestrian was struck and killed on the M8 motorway at Carrigane, Mitchelstown. On Monday, a man was killed in a single vehicle collision on the road between Leap and Drinagh in West Cork.
According to Mr Johnstone, one of the biggest frustrations for families who have lost a loved one on the roads is how the case is handled in the courts. He said in many cases the lesser charge of death by careless driving is given where the family feels the greater charge of death by dangerous driving should have been applied.
“You hear people complaining about the sentences that the judges are giving, but if somebody is only brought before them for the lower charge, their hands are tied as to what they can give them anyway,” he explained.
He continued: “If the offence is dangerous driving causing death, we know the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) and the State are going to have to put extra time and resources and money to go through to a trial with a judge and jury, but the families deserve that the person that killed their loved one is brought up for the offence that they committed, regardless of the outcome in the court.”
Safety campaign
The IRVA has launched its inaugural Youth Pledge Campaign to bring vital road safety awareness directly to young people. As part of this potentially life-saving campaign, Mr Johnstone and his colleagues at the IRVA, all of whom have suffered the loss of a loved one on the road, are visiting schools around Cork and Ireland.
During the visits, they will share their own personal stories and highlight the real-life impact of road collisions on families and communities, while encouraging students to make their own Youth Road Safety Pledge – a personal commitment to safer behaviour on the roads.
“What really hits home is telling our personal stories,” said Mr Johnstone.
“Quite a number of the students do get quite emotional and teary. When you see them getting emotional, you're obviously getting through to them.”
One focus of the campaign is the dangerous use of phones by young drivers. Mr Johnstone said: “If they're travelling on a dual carriageway for example at 100kmph and they glance at their phone for two or three seconds, it's the equivalent of driving the length of a football pitch blind.”
The Youth Pledge Campaign has already been welcomed by schools across the country, and IRVA is inviting Cork schools to get involved. Schools interested in arranging a presentation can find out more and register at irva.ie/youth-pledge-campaign. For further information or to book a school visit, contact Tony Johnstone at tony@irva.ie.
The IRVA is a non-governmental organisation which advocates for the rights, recognition, and fair treatment of road crash victims, while working to promote road safety and prevent further tragedies on Irish roads. It offers many services like victim support and a safe place for families to share their stories.