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.