Motorists should take the political route
The National Roads Authority cannot tell me how much of the 160 miles lack overtaking facility due to the single or double continuous white line.
Neither can they tell me the difference between those two markings - or town speed limits.
Last weekend I made the journey from Galway - the capital of the west - to Dublin.
I found that almost the full distance from Kilbeggan to Kinnegad had a continuous line down the middle, precluding overtaking, despite the fact that there were stretches where there was ample view to effect the manoeuvre. When, for most of the distance, one is behind a learner driver doing 40mph, a number of points must be considered:
1. Road safety engineers do not use the term speed - they use ‘traffic friction’ (ie, a speed of 40mph on a 60mph road is as dangerous as 80mph because it is 20mph at variance with the recommended speed).
2. While speed may kill - as the sign says - sloth is frustrating and irritating and a frustrated and irritated driver is not a happy person.
Seamus Brennan, TD, masquerading as a Minister for Transport, tells motorists that if they want better roads, they will have to pay for them.
In the 1980s, the Government took, in various associated taxes, from the vehicle owners and drivers of this country about £1 billion but only spent about £100 million on the roads.
This year alone, the Government will take in over €2 billion and spend about €1 billion on the roads. Some of this is being spent in improvements for pedestrians who have contributed nothing to the work (widening pavements and narrowing the roads!).
The time has come for us to form our own political party and make sense of this.
Cal Hyland
4 Closheen Lane
Rosscarbery
Co Cork
