THE GARDA crackdown on speeding and other dangerous driving which followed a series of fatal accidents in the Louth-Meath Garda division appears to be working.
Figures for 1998 show a reduction in the annual rate of deaths in the area, which includes much of the Dublin-Belfast road north of Dublin and south of the Border. This has occurred despite an increase in the number of cars, and evidence that people are commuting over longer distances.
The initiative was begun in July 1997 because of the continued high numbers of fatal accidents in the two counties, and gardai believe their efforts are beginning to produce results.
"We had 36 deaths from road traffic accidents last year, that is a 28 per cent drop on the 1997 figure. For the last 10 years we have had over 40 `fatals' every year. Our numbers also show a reduction in the number of serious accidents although the number of minor injury accidents rose," said Insp Gerry O'Brien of the Garda Traffic Corps yesterday.
The initiative was started in July 1997 after annual figures showed that 10 per cent of all fatal and serious road accidents happened in Cos Louth and Meath. Nearly two years and thousands of £50 on-the-spot speeding fines later, the first concrete figures to emerge indicate that it appears to be having more than a superficial impact.
"We have the same level of accidents but less serious injuries and more minor injuries, so some people are obviously slowing down and not as many are being killed. Having said that the figures for the first quarter of this year indicate we could again have over 40 fatalities before the year is out," Insp O'Brien said.
Garda Frank Gallagher says the level of traffic in the region has increased dramatically in the last three years. "The number of cars relative to population has increased by 20 per cent. House prices are forcing people out of Dublin and they are travelling 20 to 30 miles a day to work. That means that there is a risk of these people being involved in accidents when five years ago they would not have been on the roads.
"Last year we issued 4,000 [verbal] cautions to motorists for speeding and also fined approximately 10,500 others with £50 on-the-spot fines for speeding. It is also important to say there is no pattern to fatal accidents. If there are 26 fatal accidents it does not mean there were 26 lunatics on the road. Somebody can walk out in front of a lorry or have a heart attack, for example," the inspector added.
Of the 36 deaths last year 14 involved male drivers, while two were female drivers. One male passenger and three female passengers were killed. Twelve were pedestrians (10 male), two were motorcyclists and two were pedal cyclists. Fifty- six per cent were not motorists and 33 per cent were pedestrians.
When Operation Lifesaver started gardai were detecting one car every minute travelling at more than 100 m.p.h. on the Dunleer by-pass: now there is only the occasional one . Although encouraged by the figures they say the initiative that gave extra vehicles, technology and staffing to the traffic corps will continue.