Ireland's roads are now the sixth safest in the European Union (EU), a new report has shown.

According to the report from the European Transport Safety Council (ETSC), Ireland has made major progress in this area over the last decade. It notes that in 2001, 411 people were killed on Irish roads, but by 2010, this figure had fallen to 212 - a 48% reduction.

Ireland is now the sixth safest country out of the 27 EU member states, with 47 deaths per million population. The top five countries are Sweden, the UK, Malta, the Netherlands and Germany.

Ireland's roads are now safer than roads in Australia, where there are 61 deaths per million population, and the US, where there are 107 deaths per million.

Commenting on the report, Noel Brett, chief executive of the Road Safety Authority (RSA), described this achievement as ‘remarkable' and said that Irish road users ‘have become an example to the rest of Europe and indeed the world'.

"But these achievements can be easily taken away from us if we allow ourselves to become complacent. There is still a big gap between Ireland and the safest counties in Europe. So I would ask you all to keep up the great work and to renew your efforts to stay safe on the roads," Mr Brett said.

He noted there have already been 16 fewer deaths on Irish roads so far this year compared to the same period last year.

The ETSC report highlights Ireland's efforts to improve safety on rural roads, the safety of vulnerable road users, such as pedestrians, cyclists and motorcyclists, and reduce serious injuries. Overall in Ireland, there has been a:
-55% drop in pedestrian deaths since 2001
-43% drop in motorcyclist deaths since 2001.

"If I could pick three areas for improvement it would be to slow down, don't use a mobile phone while driving and wear a high visibility jacket when out cycling, biking or walking," he said.

The ETSC report shows that at EU level, there has been a major reduction in road deaths overall and as a result, an estimated €176 billion has been saved since 2001.

"These figures show the immense value to society of working to make using the roads safer. The potential for saving is far from being exhausted, particularly as important safety measures remain to be fully implemented, or are still being developed. If we are able to reach the new EU 2020 target of a further 50% reduction in road deaths, the benefit to society could be an additional 182 billion euro," explained Richard Allsop of the ETSC.