Drivers believe fewer gardaí on roads

The majority of motorists believe the number of gardaí policing the roads has fallen in the past year and have criticised the worsening driving conditions.

The findings follow a weekend in which five people died on the roads, and echo criticism from Gay Byrne, chairman of the Road Safety Authority, who said cuts meant there were too few gardaí on patrol.

The AA survey found 72% of motorists believe there are now fewer gardaí on the roads than this time last year. The poll of over 20,000 motorists also found that 40% of drivers do not think the Government treats road safety as a priority.

Garda Traffic Corps numbers have fallen from more than 1,200 to fewer than 850, with road deaths up 18% on this time last year.

AA director of consumer affairs Conor Faughnan said perception is as important as reality when it comes to road traffic policing.

“Ireland has been a road safety success story recently but it is essential to keep up the momentum,” he said. “Road deaths reached a record low last year which we all welcomed, but 2013 has shown a worrying slip in those standards. Prominent, visible policing is critical.”

The AA urged the Government to ensure adequate resources are provided to the gardaí so the road safety strategy is not allowed to drift down the priority list.

“We know from our dealings with AA members that people want to see gardaí out and about on our roads,” said Mr Faughnan. “The gardaí know that firsthand themselves.

“We have also proved in recent years that prominent traffic policing saves lives. Even with public finances so challenged we cannot allow road safety to fall backwards in 2013. The human cost is just too high.”

Mr Byrne said drivers were taking more risks because of cutbacks. He said the general perception is that enforcement is no longer there and as a direct result bad behaviour increases.

The Garda Representative Association, which represents rank-and-file members, and the Association of Garda Sergeants and Inspectors have previously said they are concerned about decreasing manpower and resources.

Earlier this year, Justice Minister Alan Shatter pledged to reopen the Garda Training College in Templemore to prevent the numbers falling below 13,000. However, no date has been set for that, and retirements continue to reduce Garda strength on a daily basis.

The GRA has repeatedly raised concern about the fact that new patrol cars are not coming on line quickly enough to replace vehicles taken off the road when they reach 300,000km.

“The resources are not there,” said a GRA source. “You will see high-visibility checkpoints close to towns and main routes, but normal, routine patrolling is suffering from a lack of cars.”

However, Chief Supt Michael O’Sullivan of the Garda National Traffic Bureau denied claims that there is a shortage of gardaí on patrol. He said huge garda resources were committed to trying to keep the roads safe.

Meanwhile, the appalling state of Irish roads is also a major concern for motorists, with 82% saying conditions have got worse in the past 12 months.

Investment in constructing new roads is down 83% since the boom and maintenance and improvement work down 50%. “If you do not keep them properly, the damage gets worse and the ultimate repair cost escalates,” said Mr Faughnan.