Road accidents are the biggest cause of death among children in Ireland, a major conference has been told.

Road traffic accidents currently account for almost 37% of all child deaths in this country, and the number of children who died on our roads in 2014 was three times higher than in 2013.

A total of 14 young people under the age of 15 died on Irish roads last year - seven pedestrians and seven passengers. Garda research in this area suggests that one in 10 children who die in car accidents are not wearing a seatbelt or using a child restraint.

The startling facts were presented at the Road Safety Authority's (RSA) Annual International Road Safety Conference in Dublin Castle. The conference was told that while road fatalities involving children have fallen by almost 90% between 1997 and 2012, 262 children were killed during this period, while more than 1,100 were seriously injured.

"We shockingly saw almost triple the number of child deaths on our roads last year. We can now either watch this trend continue, or we can collectively take action to make sure no more children's lives are lost on our roads this year or any year. A seemingly daunting task, but certainly possible when we work together," RSA chairperson, Liz O'Donnell, told the conference.

She pointed out that children are ‘our most vulnerable road users' and they cannot be held responsible for their own safety when it comes to using roads, because ‘they simply do not have the cognitive skills to be able to recognise danger'.

"That's why it's up to us as adults to do the right thing and protect them. Parents must treat their children like precious cargo when they are carrying them as passengers in cars, and ensure they are properly restrained. They are incredibly vulnerable to injury because of their size and age. There is no room whatsoever for complacency or exceptions, no matter how short the trip," Ms O'Donnell commented.

The conference was attended by over 200 delegates and featured speakers from Ireland, the UK, the Netherlands and Sweden.

The RSA has produced a series of videos on road safety for children. They can be viewed at the following links:
-School Gateway Risk
-Housing Estate Risk
-Child Safety in Cars