Fifteen child casualties on Waterford roads since 2021, new report reveals

Fifteen children have been killed or seriously injured on Waterford roads over the last five years, new data from the Road Safety Authority (RSA) has revealed.

Nationally, 658 children were either killed or seriously injured on Irish roads over the same period, with 38 fatalities recorded for children under the age of 16.

Of the 658 child casualties recorded over the five years, one in eight were travelling to or from school at the time of the collision, the report found.

With children across the country preparing to return to school over the next week, drivers, parents and children are being encouraged to take extra care on the roads by the RSA.

The report also revealed that almost half of child casualties in the country were pedestrians, while over a quarter were passengers in cars, with children accounting for 5% of all road fatalities and 8% of all serious road injuries during this five-year period.

Waterford accounted for 2% of child casualties across the country between 2021 and 2025, with 32% occurring in Dublin and 9% in Cork.

Sean Canney TD, Minister of State at the Department of Transport, said: “Every child should be able to use the roads safely, whether they are walking, cycling, taking the bus or travelling by car. The return to school is a particularly important time to remind every road user of their responsibility to protect children.

“The RSA’s new report shows that children remain particularly vulnerable on our roads, with pedestrians and cyclists making up around two-thirds of child casualties. Children should be able to walk or cycle without fear of being injured on the road.

“Road safety is a shared responsibility. As children return to school, I encourage everyone to play their part in making the journey to and from school as safe as possible.”