Sir, - Another tragic day on our roads, yet there have been over 160,000 speeding tickets handed out this year! It prompts me to ask if there is any correlation between the time and locations of the accidents and when and where the speeding tickets are handed out. On two recent Sundays I have observed a speed camera in place on the new section of the bypass between Limerick and Adare. This is a two-lane dual carriageway of excellent standard. On both occasions it was early afternoon, dry and sunny, and the traffic was moving freely.
Garda∅ could probably hand out as many speeding tickets as they want along this stretch of road at any time of the day or night and the carnage on our roads will be as bad as ever.
Later on the same journeys I witnessed several examples of reckless driving, such as overtaking on a hump-backed bridge, speeding through towns and villages, failing to in dicate at roundabouts - but no evidence of any garda∅ to censure the offenders.
I do not wish to condone speeding, but preying on motorists on the stretches of road which are actually capable of sustaining fast-moving traffic does little other than skew the statistics and swell the Garda coffers. I would much prefer to see the introduction of traffic police to patrol our roads and enforce the laws - not as cushy as setting up a speed camera, but far more effective in terms of driver education. - Yours, etc.,
Greg Ashe, Old School, Kells, Co Kerry.