Speeding still ‘No 1 issue’ for Gardaí as detections surge 50%
And despite warnings over the dangers of driving while using a mobile phone, detections are still higher than in 2007.
Senior officers yesterday launched Operation Focus, a new nationwide road safety campaign which will be rolled out in the next six months.
The operation began in Dublin yesterday for 24 hours and will then be put in place in each of the regions.
“Areas that continue to be of concern to us are speeding, driving under the influence of drink, indeed drugs and dangerous driving,” said Assistant Commissioner John O’Mahoney.
“We still have a concern regarding the use of seatbelts and mainly seatbelts with rear seat passengers and another area is the hand-held mobile phones — the rate there continues to be of concern for us. Drivers using phones continue to cause serious accidents.”
He said the purpose of the operation was to raise awareness of road safety.
“This is not about catching people breaking the law, it’s about getting a message out there to everyone that drives that we all need to work together and be conscious of the dangers.”
Figures released at the launch show:
*Speed detections jumped from 199,263 in 2007 to 310,000 in 2011 (up 56%).
*Seatbelt detections fell from 30,498 to 15,645 (down 48%).
“The No 1 issue is speed — we are asking people to slow down,” said Chief Superintendent Aidan Reid of the Garda National Traffic Bureau.
“If you’re hit in a 30km zone, there’s a 5% chance of being killed, if you’re hit in 50km zone, there’s a 45% chance of being killed, if you’re hit in 60km zone, there’s a 85% chance of being killed. We are asking everyone to slow down, to refocus, that’s the message.”
Both officers pointed out that the number of fatal collisions had dropped dramatically, from 305 in 2007 to 172 in 2011, with the collisions last year resulting in 186 lives lost.
Assistant Commissioner O’Mahoney said that last year was the first time the number of fatalities had dropped below 200.
He said there was “no room for complacency” and that Operation Focus was targeting high-risk locations for crashes.
He said gardaí continued to have “high detection rates” for use of hand-held mobile phones by drivers.
Chief Supt Reid said the reduction in road fatalities meant Dublin “now has the safest roads of any capital city of Europe”, with just 11 fatal collisions last year.
Noel Brett of the Road Safety Authority said: “I welcome the initiative and I am confident that it will lead to the prosecution of people who still refuse to acknowledge the dangers associated with inappropriate speed, driving under the influence and other breaches of the Road Traffic Act that can cost lives.”
