Almost 20,000 people have been seriously injured in road accidents over the last 15 years, according to figures from the Road Safety Authority (RSA).

It has launched its annual Christmas and New Year road safety campaign with the Gardai, and in collaboration with the National Spinal Injuries Unit in the Mater Hospital in Dublin.

The figures show that 19,681 people were seriously injured in road collisions between 1996 and 2011. However, the number of serious injuries has fallen in recent years, with the lowest number - 440 - recorded last year, compared with a high of 2,360 in 1996.

This was backed up by the Mater's consultant orthopaedic surgeon, Mr Keith Synnott, who noted that in the past, the majority of spinal cord injuries admitted to the hospital were due to road accidents, but this is no longer the case.

However, while welcoming this reduction, he also emphasised how horrific these injuries can be.

"Spinal cord injuries have a devastating and truly life changing impact on people who suffer them and their families. Unfortunately in many cases the damage to the spinal cord and its consequences are irreversible...The goal of treatment is often to help patients maximise the function that remains following their injury," he explained.

Also speaking at the launch of the campaign, Elaine Hanly, who is in her early 20s, explained how much her life has changed since an accident last year.

"Last year, I was working as a nurse. I enjoyed going out with friends, going for walks with my dog and helping my family with the farm. Then in August 2011, my life changed. I was in a collision and when I woke up, I was in the Mater Hospital with a spinal injury that left me paralysed from the chest down. The turnaround from being a nurse to being a patient, literally overnight, was overwhelming," she said.

She added that her life has ‘completely changed' and living with her injury is a ‘daily struggle'.

"Life will never be the same again. Nobody ever thinks they will be in a crash or that something so serious could happen to them but it can. So I would like people to realise that we are so fragile when on the roads and that we really need to take great care."

Meanwhile, Garda Commissioner, Martin Callinan, insisted that the Gardai would be ‘dedicating resources to stamping out irresponsible, risky behavior' on Irish roads over the coming weeks.

"I would like to remind everyone that this is not about catching people, it's about protecting each and every person who uses the roads so that we can all have a safe and happy Christmas and New Year," he said.