Double Road Tragedy Blights Meath Roads

Gardaí in Dunshaughlin, Co Meath are investigating the circumstances of a single vehicle fatal car crash.

It happened in the early hours of this morning, (23rd August) and left two young men - aged 20 and 21 - fatally injured.

The collision occurred at approx. 2.05am on Tuesday on the Ratoath to Dunshaughlin Rd (R152) approximately three miles outside Dunshaughlin.

The car collided with a tree and the driver and passenger were pronounced dead at the scene and their bodies were taken to Navan Hospital.

There was no one else in the car at the time of the collision.

The road was closed for a forensic collision examination and diversions are in place.

Witnesses are asked to contact Dunshaughlin Gardaí station on 01 8258600, the Gardaí Confidential Line on 1800 666 111 or any Gardaí Station.

Today's bad news came as it was revealed that the number of children killed on the roads had actually dropped by 45% from 1997 to 2009, according to new figures from the Road Safety Authority .

A total of 246 children up to the age of 14 were killed on Irish roads in the 12 years covered by the study. A further 1,013 were seriously injured.

Over half of the children killed or seriously injured were cyclists or pedestrians, and over a third of those killed were passengers in cars.

Most of the incidents involving children occurred between 4pm and 6.59pm, and 61% of child fatalities were outside built-up areas where the roads had speed limits higher than 60km/h, according to the detailed in the Authority's Child Casualties Report.

In 1997 some 27 children were killed and 135 seriously injured on the roads. This had dropped in 2009 to 12 killed and 40 injured.

(BMcC/GK)