Jaywalkers should be prosecuted for wandering out in front of traffic, car makers have told the European Commission. ACEA, the European Automobile Manufacturers Association, has asked the commission to put pressure on governments across the bloc to get tough with pedestrians who disobey signals and road markings.
Irish pedestrians already face hefty fines and even prison sentences for "breaking" red lights at pedestrian crossings. However, the laws are routinely disobeyed and are rarely enforced.
Superintendent Declan O'Brien of the Garda Traffic bureau said pedestrians are only prosecuted from time to time. Jaywalking pedestrians can be prosecuted for ignoring red lights, crossing within 15 metres of a designated pedestrian crossing, failing to act in accordance with a Garda signal, failing to exercise care, not using a footpath or for not keeping to the edge of the road.
A first offence carries a fine of up to €800, a second indiscretion a fine of €1,500 and with a third or subsequent offence, pedestrians could find themselves in prison for three months. But this has done little to deter wayward pedestrians, who face a new hazard in Dublin with the introduction of the almost silent Luas light rail system last week.
Pedestrians have accounted for 34 of the 192 deaths on the State's roads so far this year. National Safety Council (NSC) figures compiled over five years between 1996 and 2000 show pedestrians accounted for 16 per cent of all deaths or serious injuries.
"Of that, the careless action of the pedestrian was the main contributory factor in 97 per cent of cases," according to Brian Farrell of the NSC. "But there is also a duty of care on the motorist to be able to stop at all times and be on guard for the unexpected." ACEA secretary-general Ivan Hodac said government must play its part: "We can do a lot on the car through further improving brakes and safety features. But the pedestrians too have to do something, and the authorities should do their share. When you cross on a red light as a driver you lose your driving licence and pay penalties. The pedestrian and the cyclist should be punished in the same way."
Farrell agreed that greater enforcement of the laws governing pedestrians was necessary. "People need to be reminded of their obligation to safety. We also have to get into the classrooms. The first road user category you become is a pedestrian."
The European Commission does not have the power to introduce criminal laws in European countries, but the vehicle makers would like it to recommend such regulations. A recommendation has already been made that member states should enforce seat-belt, speeding and drunk driving laws more vigorously.
