Most accidents caused by drivers cutting bends

YOUR front page headline (Irish Examiner, July 12) told the nation that Transport Minister Martin Cullen had made the profound statement ‘Drivers are to blame for road carnage’.

That begs the question as to who, or what, is to blame for road accidents if it is not one or other, or all, of the drivers involved?

Perhaps you would do the nation a service by publishing the following extract from a piece written in 1950 by Myles na Gopaleen: “Many accidents are attributed to the class known as drunken drivers. In the case of hardly any such driver is driving skill called in question. If it were, it would be logical to expect ‘government circles’ to authorise the issue of two certificates — one for ordinary drivers and one for drunken drivers. Most drivers who drink are very skilled drivers. My own plan for reducing all manner of accidents may seem simple, naive, poetic, almost. Teach the Irish people to have manners.”

In the course of 40 years in private practice as a chartered civil engineer, I have investigated almost 10,000 road traffic accidents all over the Republic. The prime reason for them is the inability of a lot of drivers to negotiate a right-hand bend without going partly onto their wrong side of the road.

The next factor is stupid overtaking, and that is followed by driving too close to the vehicle in front (tailgating), particularly when the road is wet. Excess speed, as a cause of road accidents, comes fourth and driving under the excessive influence of intoxicants comes a distant fifth.

Of the eight accidents to which you refer, it might be instructive to determine the causative factor in respect to them, and report your findings.

John V Lennon

4 Rosehill Terrace

Lee Road

Cork.