Motorists warned over rise in road deaths

Motorists were warned today about the dangers of speeding and driving under the influence of drink and drugs over the Bank Holiday.

With thousands of holidaymakers expected to take to the roads this weekend, the Irish Medical Organisation warned the June break was traditionally an accident black period.

Dr Asam Ishtiaq, IMO president, said drivers had to do all in their power to reduce risks while also taking precautions to deal with the hidden dangers of the roads.

“Doctors throughout the country are dismayed at facing the tragic consequences of inappropriate driving behaviour, particularly on bank holiday weekends,” he said.

“As an organisation, we are committed to campaign for road safety.”

Garda figures showed 165 people have been killed on the country’s roads so far this year.

Dr Ishtiaq said that following a drop in the number of deaths in road accidents, the risk to life had become a subject of concern again.

“The introduction of the penalty points system did bring about an alleviation of the problem, but road deaths have started to rise,” he said.

The IMO said the death of five schoolchildren in the Co Meath bus crash highlighted the danger on all roads at all times.

According to EU statistics, those most at risk from driving accidents are young people aged between 15 and 24, with 10,000 fatalities per year across the EU.

The doctors’ group has called for blood alcohol levels to be brought into line with the rest of the European Union – from 80mg to 50mg per 100ml of blood.

But Dr Ishtiaq said even stricter rules were needed to get the message across that driving did not mix with drink and drugs.

“We believe that increased public awareness campaigns on the dangers of driving under the influence of alcohol are necessarily coupled with an increased rate of enforcement for such offences,” he said.

“We have also observed the need for regulation and enforcement for driving under the influence of other drugs and other substances.”