Irish children are at greatest risk between 4 and 6pm every day

Shocking figures have emerged from the annual conference held by the Road Safety Authority in Dublin Castle today.

According to research, 40% of child deaths in Ireland can be attributed to road traffic accidents, with the Minister for Transport, Paschal Donohue, asserting: "Children are our most vulnerable road users, and it’s up to all of us to safeguard them on our roads."

Discussing the statistics at the conference, it was revealed that 2014 saw a shocking five-fold increase in child fatalities since 2012 in what Mr. Donohue dubbed a 'worrying' trend.

14 of the nation's children were killed on our roads last year, a horrifying fact which RSA chair, Liz O'Donnell, doesn't want to see repeated, saying: "We have to treat our children like precious cargo when carrying them as passengers in cars; there is no room whatsoever for complacency or exceptions- no matter how short the trip."

Commenting on a child's inability to determine whether they may be in danger, the former TD goes on to say: "They simply don’t have the cognitive skills to be able to recognise danger. That’s why it’s up to us as adults to do the right thing and protect them."

According to research, our children are at greatest risk of a road traffic fatality between 4pm and 6pm on a daily basis, while April through to August represents the time period when most child fatalities occur.

Determined to see the end of the frightening trend, Liz O' Donnell called for swift action, declaring: "We can now either watch this trend continue or we can collectively take action."

Seven child passengers and seven child pedestrians perished on our roads last year.