Concern is growing at the failure to reduce the carnage caused by traffic accidents as seven fatalities in the past 48 hours bring the roads death toll for 1997 to 353. The Garda Siochana, which has recently been implementing Operation Lifesaver on roads in an attempt to reduce road deaths, defended its effectiveness even though the number of deaths so far this year matches that for the first 10 months of last year. Seven people died within the past 48 hours, bringing the yearly total to 353. If the weekend toll is included, there have been 15 road deaths since Saturday.
This level is unacceptable, according to Senator Mairin Quill of the Progressive Democrats. "Despite the increased resources being deployed and the enhanced awareness among the general public, we are failing to effect a significant reduction." Her party was committed to introducing an effective road safety campaign, she said.
"Once an accident occurs, a Department [of the Environment] official should examine the scene and compile a report on all factors which led to its occurrence.
"A comprehensive picture can then be built up with a view to devising a new and effective initiative which will reverse the horrendous toll of deaths."
Chief Supt John O'Brien of the Garda Traffic Bureau said that although the operation had only recently been enforced it was achieving results even allowing for an upsurge during October. Between July and October there was a reduction of 20 deaths compared to 1996.
The importance of the operation's criteria are to be re-emphasised to all gardai, "both in terms of enforcement and visibility". There would also be an appeal to the public to modify driving habits. The single strongest influence on the level of accidents was "the driver behind the wheel".
The use of photo-radar equipment had had great success in other countries. In Ireland the necessary infrastructure for its use on national primary routes and in major urban areas had yet to be put in place.
It would take six to 12 months to determine the success or otherwise of Operation Lifesaver. "It cannot be done overnight. We are literally going from a situation where this [equipment] did not exist a few years ago to a stage where we need a fully developed enforcement infrastructure."
The couple in their 60s who died in a traffic accident at Finner outside Bundoran, Co Donegal, on Monday were Mr Brendan and Mrs Christina McDaid of Tralee, Co Kerry.
Their daughter, Tanya, who was a front-seat passenger, was seriously injured.
A student attending Sligo RTC died in an accident at 1 a.m. yesterday at Kiltycahill near Sligo when his car went out of control and hit a tree. He was Mr Kieran Walsh (18). of Liskeavy, Tuam, Co Galway.
The 23-year-old man who died after his car went off the road between Ardara and Glencolmcille in Co Donegal some time early yesterday was Mr Paul Cannon of Crove, Carrick, Co Donegal. A local farmer found his overturned vehicle.
A man aged about 45 was killed when he was struck by two cars travelling north at Tullyesker, Co Louth, on the Dublin-Belfast road on Monday night. Gardai were yesterday trying to identify him. He is believed to be from Belfast.
Gardai in the Louth-Meath division, where the pilot operation was first based, have been issued with a specially-equipped Cherokee jeep to assist them in monitoring traffic on the N1.
At about 10.30 a.m. yesterday, Mr John Hayden (76) of Annamoe Drive, Cabra was killed at New Cabra Road, Dublin, after his car went out of control.
In Co Westmeath, a 35-year-old man was fatally injured when his car collided with an articulated tractor cab on the Killucan to Delvin road at 1.30 p.m. He died at the Mater Hospital in Dublin.
