Sir, Congratulations on your recent articles about road deaths. More of the same, please. In your account of road deaths last weekend you omitted one. A young 18 year old was killed in Limerick on Sunday night. She was a passenger on a motorcycle of which the driver was also very seriously injured. She came from Newport, Co Tipperary, and was about to sit her Leaving Cert. She was apparently beautiful, bright and very popular. I know this because my sister lives in Newport and the whole town is engulfed in grief.
I am constantly distressed by the awful toll of road deaths as I feel that while some deaths in road accidents are inevitable, the numbers could be reduced dramatically if proper attention was paid to the problem.
I was very angry two years ago when, as you delicately put it, the drink driving laws were "relaxed" in response to pressure from the publicans, led by Jackie Healy Rae from Kerry.
I will be interested to see if Neil Kinnock, the EU Transport Commissioner, can bring in stricter legislation. I also think the National Safety Association should be given more funding as I do feel people would respond to powerful advertising.
Thank you again, and keep up the pressure. - Yours, etc.,
Fort field Park,
Dublin 6.