Road deaths crisis takes a worrying twist

THE number of accidents involving foreign motorists has increased at a steady rate since 2003, the Motor Insurers Bureau in Ireland has confirmed.

For most of its existence, the vast majority of insurance claims processed by the MIBI in relation to non-national drivers related to accidents involving tourists. Invariably, many such cases involved foreign motorists unfamiliar with driving on the right-hand side of the road.

Now, however, a new pattern seems to be emerging and one which appears linked to Ireland’s fast-growing immigrant population.

The MIBI estimates that there were more than 800 accidents involving non-Irish drivers last year - a figure which has been steadily increasing since 2003. More worryingly, one-quarter of all these were uninsured. By comparison, the latest statistics suggest that only around 5% of all Irish drivers are not properly insured.

The tragic death of five eastern Europeans in Co Donegal at the weekend brings the number of non-nationals killed in road accidents so far in 2006 to 15 - almost a quarter of the overall total of 63.

Because of the absence of garda statistics on collisions involving left-hand drive vehicles, figures from the MIBI - which is legally obliged to process all insurance claims involving foreign-registered cars - provide the first and only real clue towards the accident rate of non-nationals.

In a week when it emerged foreigners account for 9% of the working population, the MIBI estimates would appear to show that migrants are disproportionately likely to be involved in a traffic accident.

So far, there seems to have been an understandable reluctance on the part of public representatives to raise questions about the issue out of fear of inviting claims of playing the race card.

Nevertheless, Fianna Fáil TD and chairman of the Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport John Ellis recently felt compelled to raise the matter with Garda Commissioner Noel Conroy

The Sligo TD said he was aware of many politicians receiving complaints from constituents about non-national drivers who were driving vehicles without tax, insurance or an NCT certificate.

Mr Conroy also highlighted a certain element of frustration among gardaí that current legislation does not allow them to seize foreign-registered vehicles.

In other words, cars being driven illegally by non-nationals cannot be taken off the roads as a general rule, although Transport Minister Martin Cullen announced earlier this month that amending legislation will be introduced soon to correct this anomaly.

While the drivers of foreign-registered cars are legally obliged to notify the Revenue if they intend to keep their vehicles in the Republic for longer than 12 months, it is a rule that is virtually unenforceable.

“In practice, you will find that a foreigner can drive their car across the Border to Newry and claim they are starting a new 12-month period when they drive back into the Republic,” said one insurance company executive.

Gardaí have also indicated that the number of non-nationals appearing before district courts for minor traffic offences has increased dramatically in recent years.

However, it must also be emphasised that around 50% of accidents involving foreign-registered vehicles still relate to drivers from Britain and Northern Ireland.

Furthermore, the overall increase in accidents involving non-nationals may also reflect the growth in number of migrant workers coming to Ireland since the accession of 10 new countries to the EU in May 2004.

At the same time, the poor road safety record of countries like Latvia, Lithuania and Poland cannot be ignored as a possible factor in drivers from these states being involved in accidents in the Republic.

Latvia has the worst road death rate in Europe with 220 people killed each year per 1 million population, followed closely by Lithuania at 216. Poland has the fifth worst record at 148 compared to the EU average of 95, and 89 in Ireland.

However, the most relevant fact about the latest multiple fatality road tragedy may not be that the collision involved a group of immigrants but that it happened in the early hours of a weekend.

Official figures from the National Roads Authority show repeatedly the most dangerous time on Irish roads is the early hours of Saturday and Sunday mornings, which account for over 25% of all fatal accidents.