Figures released by the N/M20 Project office show that the proportion of fatal collisions to all personal injury collisions on the N20 Cork to Limerick road is four times higher than the national average. In addition, the rate of personal injury collisions on the N20 is substantially higher than average, meaning drivers are more likely to be involved in a personal injury collision on the N20 than on other national roads in the country. Statistics for the period 2016-2018 show that there is a very high proportion of fatal collisions to all personal injury collisions on the N20. At 8%, this is higher than the national proportion of 2% (Road Casualties and Collisions in Ireland 2017). There are 625 access points along the N20, comprising private dwellings, farm/field entrances and junctions which is a major contributor to the safety issues. The detailed analysis of collision data forms part of the appraisal of options for the Cork to Limerick project, which is currently underway, and is the clearest indicator yet of the scale of road safety problems that exist on the N20.
Analysis of the collision data has found that there were 87 personal injury collisions along the entire N20 route in the years 2016-2018. Seven collisions were fatal (8%), 13 resulted in serious injury (15%), and the remaining 67 resulted in minor injury (77%). A high percentage of collisions (63%) occurred along rural sections of the N20, which is signific-antly different from the national average (39%). Based on provisional data received from Transport Infrastructure Ireland (TII), there were three fatal collisions on the N20 in 2019, and four in 2020, which is higher than the average of 2.33 fatal collisions per year in the period from 2016-2018. This indicates the trend of high numbers of fatal collisions on the N20 seems to continue and is potentially increasing. The various options under consideration (see www.corklimerick.ie) will help address these serious safety deficiencies and reduce the rate and severity of collisions along the N20, according to the N/M20 Project office.