Speedtraps more for revenue than road safety?

WHAT’S up in the Garda Traffic Division and where do the planners in the Road Safety Authority actually formulate their plans?

These, and many other questions must be answered when one looks at the road between Cork and Youghal.

Allow me to use an example to illustrate my point.

Recently I was running late for an appointment in Cork city. Travelling from Youghal, I found myself pushing the limits, as it were, on dangerous single carriageways and taking my time on dual carriageways.

What, you may ask, was the logic for this? Not any lack of respect for road safety. On the contrary, my 16-year accident-free driving record speaks for itself.

Anyone who travels this road on a regular basis will know it is on the safe dual carriageways that one is guaranteed to find a garda speedtrap whereas on the more dangerous single carriageways they are nowhere to be seen.

Now there are traffic lights and a 60 k/mh zone in the middle of this dual carriageway at the Amgen plant site near Carrigtwohill.

Surely experience — remember the magic roundabout when the Jack Lynch tunnel first opened? — and common sense would tell planners that a flyover is the best option here.

Surely human life is more valuable than the few hundred thousand euro it would have cost to develop such flyovers. Maybe the extra revenue which the gardaí will undoubtedly collect here can pay for the upgrade after someone is killed when slamming on their breaks to avoid getting a fine!

John Hayes

18 Dun Coran

Youghal

Co Cork