Road safety strategy a spectacular failure, says campaign group

THE National Safety Council has branded the Government’s road safety strategy as “a spectacular failure” similar to other political controversies such as electronic voting, PPARS and decentralisation.

NSC chairperson Eddie Shaw said current efforts at tackling the high level of fatalities on the roads was “fatally flawed”.

“About 380 people will die on our roads this year and we estimate about 3,000 will be seriously injured. That is 144 deaths and about 1,200 serious injuries more than it should be. These deaths and injuries are entirely preventable,” said Mr Shaw.

A total of 313 people have been killed in traffic accidents so far in 2005 - an increase of 15 over the corresponding period last year.

The outspoken but highly regarded road safety campaigner said the initial reduction in road fatalities following the introduction of penalty points in 2002 had not been sustained due to a lack of Government investment.

Mr Shaw said the NSC felt frustrated because research had shown what was necessary to reduce the carnage on Irish roads.

He told the Joint Oireachtas Committee on Enterprise and Small Business that all politicians held some responsibility for the “chronic failure” of the existing process.

“It is something that every elected politician is aware of and tolerates or supports by silence and acquiescence. It is a failure of good people doing nothing,” said Mr Shaw.

As an example of the “ineffective and inefficient” process, he pointed out how officials from the departments of Justice and Finance had spent 18 months arguing about allocating resources to appoint a few personnel to design the computer system to operate penalty points.

However, Mr Shaw said there was plenty of evidence to show that the Government could be effective when it demonstrated a political will to bring about change. He cited the development of social partnership and the bans on smoking and smokeless fuels as prime examples.

Although welcoming the Government’s proposal to replace the NSC with an expanded Road Safety Authority, Mr Shaw said he had reservations that the new body might not be given the required funding and autonomy to fulfil its role.

“The risk is that the authority will become another administrative construct, like the NSC today, trapped in a failed and fatally flawed process,” he said.

Meanwhile, Assistant Garda Commissioner Eddie Rock said the number of people arrested for drink driving had increased significantly since January.

A total of 9,050 motorists were arrested for the offence up to the end of September - an increase of 15% on 2004 figures.

Mr Rock said 1,200 drivers had been arrested in the two Garda divisions with the worst fatal accident rates in the Republic - Louth/Meath and Donegal.

He said positive changes in the public’s attitude to drink driving and speeding had not been reflected in the behaviour of drivers.

Mr Rock said members of the Garda Traffic Corps were being deployed to 30 locations in each Garda division which had been identified as places where fatal accidents occurred.

He said speed checks were conducted on national roads because they accounted for 40% of all fatal collisions.