Friday, 9 October 2026 – The Road Safety Authority (RSA) is today marking National Child Safety Day with a special school visit alongside Gaelic Players Association (GPA) CEO Tom Parsons, helping to raise awareness of road safety among children and encourage safe habits from an early age.
Tom Parsons joined the RSA at Naíonra Caitlin Maude, in Tallaght, Dublin along with Sinéad Wylde, 2023 All-Ireland winner with Dublin ladies’ footballers and former Dublin camogie player, to speak with pupils about making safe choices on every journey, as part of a nationwide programme of road safety education and awareness activities during Road Safety Week 2026.
The importance of promoting road safety awareness from an early age is highlighted in the RSA’s Child Casualties Report 2021-2025, which shows that 38 children aged 15 and under were killed and 620 seriously injured on Irish roads over the five-year period. Almost two in three (65%) child casualties were pedestrians or cyclists, while seven in ten occurred on roads with speed limits of 60km/h or less, underlining the need for drivers to take particular care in the places where children are most likely to walk and cycle.
To mark National Child Safety Day, the RSA is also distributing more than 50,000 high-visibility vests to children nationwide through its Beep Beep road safety programme, helping young children learn about staying safe on the roads in a fun and engaging way.
Throughout Road Safety Week, the RSA has been bringing practical road safety education to schools, families and communities across Ireland through its interactive Road Safety Shuttle, Rollover Simulator, Check it Fits child car seat service and school-based education programmes.
Minister for Children, Disability and Equality, Norma Foley, said: “I welcome the inclusion of Beep Beep Day 2026 in pre-schools across the country. This important day is a fantastic opportunity for pre-school children to learn about road safety and practise these basic skills using the Simon and Friends storybooks, songs, and games. These important skills that are learned through play will serve the children as they grow and help keep them safe on Irish streets and roads.”
Nuala Carey, Interim Director of Partnerships and External Affairs at the RSA, said: “Every child should be able to walk, cycle, travel to school or be a passenger in a car without being exposed to unnecessary risk. National Child Safety Day puts children at the heart of road safety and reminds us that protecting them is a shared responsibility. Our Child Casualties Report shows that children continue to be killed and seriously injured on Irish roads, with pedestrians and cyclists accounting for almost two-thirds of child casualties. These findings underline the need for drivers to take particular care on lower-speed roads and wherever children are walking and cycling. National Child Safety Day is a reminder that every journey demands our attention. Slow down, buckle up, stay alert and expect to see children walking and cycling. A few seconds of extra care can make a life-saving difference.”
Tom Parsons, CEO of the Gaelic Players Association, said: “It was a privilege to meet the pupils today in Naíonra Caitlin Maude and hear what they are learning about road safety. As players, parents, coaches and members of our communities, we all have a role in setting a positive example for young people. Whether we’re travelling to school, training or a match, the choices we make on the road matter. National Child Safety Day is a great opportunity to reinforce those important messages and encourage children and adults alike to make safer choices every day.”
The RSA and GPA are working together to harness the influence of inter-county players to promote positive road safety behaviours and encourage conversations about staying safe on the roads in schools, clubs and communities nationwide.
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