The death of seven people in road traffic accidents at the weekend should be sufficient evidence to convince the Government that its road safety strategy is failing and needs a radical overhaul.
The reason for this failure is unambiguous: motorists have reverted to their bad old ways because they are not sufficiently fearful of being detected and prosecuted by the Garda Síochána.
The chief executive of the National Safety Council, Mr Pat Costello, has confirmed that the major factors in road deaths are speed, alcohol and the non-wearing of seat belts. He has asked that Garda enforcement levels should match international best practice. A recent study identified low-level and sporadic Garda activity in enforcing the traffic laws as a major failing and concluded that accident levels would remain high while this situation persisted. But the personal responsibility of road users in the most vulnerable 18/30 age group must also be recognised and addressed.
This Government promised the establishment of a dedicated Traffic Corps to deal with road safety issues. It also undertook to recruit 3,000 extra gardai. Neither pledge has been kept. Instead, a police force that is already over-stretched in responding to serious crime is expected to enforce new traffic laws introduced by the Minister for Transport, Mr Brennan. There appears to be little cohesion in the Government's approach. And the prospect for change is limited as the Minister for Finance, Mr McCreevy, maintains tight control of public spending.
Every couple of months, there are flurries of activity. Last Christmas, the Garda authorities announced a six-week road safety campaign, during which special attention was paid to speeding, seat-belt offences and drunk driving. And 91 per cent of those motorists breathalysed were found to be over the limit. When the campaign ended, however, road deaths began to rise rapidly.
Mr Brennan is expected to publish a Road Traffic Bill within the next few weeks that will permit the Garda Síochána conduct random breath-testing and allow private sector companies operate speed cameras. A new Road Already this year, the death toll on our roads approaches the 100-mark and the improvement in road safety standards that accompanied the introduction of the penalty points system has dissipated.
Safety Strategy for 2004-2006 will be unveiled also. The changes introduced will be both welcome and progressive. But, without the financial resources necessary to enforce the new laws, the initiative may fail.
If the Government is serious about reducing the number of road deaths, it must invest in more intensive, high-profile policing and other actions. There is plenty of statistical evidence to show that money spent in this fashion is more than recouped by the State through preserving the lives and health of productive citizens and in reducing medical costs. More resources are urgently required. The Government must stop ducking its responsibilities and provide them.