Ten people lost their lives on Donegal's roads in 2023

As ten people lost their lives on Donegal’s roads in 2023, the government say that it hopes to have the new Road Traffic Bill progressed early this year.

The number of people to lose their lives on Donegal’s roads was up from eight in 2022.

Nationwide, the number of road deaths was up by 19 per cent from 2022, rising to 184 from 155 in 2022.

In November, teenagers and friends Alana Harkin and Thomas Gallagher lost their lives in a road traffic crash on the R238 at Terrawee, Gleneely.

A week before Christmas, musician Paul Mooney, aged in his 30s, died when the car in which he was a passenger was involved in a collision with another vehicle near Manorcunningham.

Last January, pedestrian Eileen Kennedy, who was in her 60s, died after she was struck by a vehicle in Killybegs.

Rebecca Browne, a 21-year-old from Derry, was returning from a function at a local hotel in Buncrana in May when she was struck by a Garda car at Ludden.

Nine-year-old boy Ronan Wilson, who hailed from Tyrone, was killed when he was struck in a hit-and-run collision in Bundoran in September.

Conor McGinley, a 19-year-old, was killed in a single-vehicle collision near Kerrykeel in August and Derry native Davey Doherty, aged in his 40s, died in a single-vehicle crash near Bridgend, while mother-of-two Mary Whitters Borland, aged in her 50s, died when her car collided with a lorry outside Moville in September.

In October, Convoy motorcyclist Arnie Whyte, who was in his 40s, was killed in a road traffic accident near Glenties.

“2023 has been a heart-breaking and devastating year on Irish roads for so many families and communities all over Ireland,” Minister of State at the Department of Transport, Jack Chambers, said.

“Our thoughts are with all those impacted as we head into a new year. We were able to progress a number of important reforms in 2023 which are specifically targeted at the lifesaver offences which we know are the main contributors to fatal road collisions.

“The Road Traffic Bill received cabinet approval in December and we will be working to have this essential piece of legislation progressed through the Dáil in early 2024. Work is well underway on a number of other initiatives in partnership with other Government departments and agencies to be delivered throughout this year. I would also like to pay tribute and special thanks to our emergency services and first responders who do incredible lifesaving work in the most challenging circumstances.”

Mr Sam Waide, Chief Executive of the Road Safety Authority, said: “Weekends, late nights and early mornings have been high risk periods throughout the year.  Despite lower traffic volumes, these timeframes feature high numbers of collisions.

“The evidence suggests that these periods present greater risks in terms of driver behaviours like drink and drug-driving and fatigue. We are targeting these behaviours with new awareness and education initiatives, such as the SAY IT campaign which commenced two weeks ago.”