A total of 158 people lost their lives in road collisions during the year, in 143 fatal crashes. It was the safest year on the road since records were first compiled in 1959.
The figures represent a 15pc decrease in fatalities compared to 2016, and a reduction compared to the previous safest year, 2015 with 162 deaths. It also compares to 1997, when there were in the region of 475 deaths.
The worst month last year was March, when 20 fatalities were recorded, followed by July and November with 17 deaths in each month. Sundays and Mondays were the most dangerous days through the year.
There were more deaths in rural areas, with 116 recorded. The age groups with the highest fatalities were 16-25 and 66+, with 33 each, but in each case showing a decrease, while the two groups between 46-65 both showed an increase in fatalities.
Of the total recorded deaths, 67 were car drivers, 26 were car passengers, 30 were pedestrians, 20 were motorcyclists, and 15 were cyclists (which registered a 50pc increase over that segment in 2016). Most in-car fatalities (80) were on higher speed roads, while 14 pedestrians each were killed on roads with speed limits of 60km/h or less and 80km/h or more respectively (in the remaining two cases, the speed limit of the area was unknown at the time of the report's compilation).
