Road deaths: where’s the action?
Those of us who have been touched by the harrowing personal consequences of these deaths have had their ineffable grief and pain amplified with every published road death and injury.
Culturally we are in love with our cars. Prof James Wickham’s working paper entitled ‘Public Transport and Urban Citizenship’ (June, ‘04) revealed that in a study of 50 categories of ‘critical moments’ in the life history of UK adolescents, none involved politics, but two involved cars (‘passing driving test’ and ‘getting a car’).
In other words, the love affair with the car is regarded as an almost inalienable right, assuming an order of importance similar to the right to life. Arguably, while there is nothing wrong with loving a car, our driving conduct leaves much room for improvement.
The Government has undertaken to cut road deaths to 300 this year by introducing a range of co-ordinated policies.
But the way in which the Garda Traffic Corps is being established reflects nothing of the promised co-ordinated response. From the 48 gardaí appointed to the traffic corps, one-third have received no specialised training while fewer than 10% have received advanced training.
This is not indicative of a serious resolve to end the carnage on our roads.
Notwithstanding the view of Eddie Shaw, former chairman of the National Safety Council, that the current road safety TV campaign is the best ever, I feel that people will inure themselves to such images.
After all, such images are at a remove being played out as little narratives on TV. These TV campaigns are a soft option enabling the Government to cop out.
Change of driving conduct will only result from enforcement. Unless the Government wakes up to this and gives adequate resources to the gardaí to provide a fully-trained nationwide traffic corps, we will continue to suffer appalling waste of life on our roads.
Greg Hastings
18 Beechcroft
Summerhill
Co Meath
