Garda chief’s record on road safety defended

HIGH-RANKING gardaí have sprung to the defence of Garda Commissioner Noel Conroy amid claims that enforcement of the road traffic laws is inadequate.

The commissioner, since taking office last year, has made traffic policing a priority and has told senior officers he wants the gardaí to be more visible on the roads, sources claim.

He has asked traffic chiefs to increase the number of marked cars on the road. In some areas, most notably Cork, this has led to a reported decrease in the use of unmarked vehicles.

One senior member defended the commissioner's record on road safety. He said: "Noel Conroy wants traffic to work. Some people will pay lip service to traffic but Conroy does not, in fairness to him."

"The commissioner is very keen to increase visibility. The more visibility the better," the source said.

As the number of road deaths increased dramatically in the first two months of the year and following the Cabinet agreeing a new two-year road safety strategy programme, Transport Minister Séamus Brennan said the law must be "vigorously enforced".

Fred Wegman, a road safety expert commissioned by the Department of Transport, reported that the chances of getting caught for drink driving was low and said there was inadequate enforcement of other road traffic laws.

"Appeals alone will not bring this about. It requires vigorous enforcement," the minister said.

Latest figures reveal an increase in the number of road deaths for the first two months of this year, to 70, up 29 compared to the same period in 2003.

Mr Brennan said there had been significant factors influencing the increase in deaths the number of multiple fatalities. There was a large reduction last year following the introduction of the penalty point system.

Fine Gael's Gerry Kelly said the minister should tackle the driving test waiting list and claimed he refused to extend penalty points to include those who sell on clapped-out company cars.