Madam, - May I congratulate Ruadhán Mac Cormaic for his coverage of the tragedies that are played out repeatedly in the Coroner's Court? His simple reports show the preventable nature of many road deaths with immense clarity.
The lawmakers in this country do not really want to stop the carnage - they pay lip service to the distress that it causes but are afraid of the unpopular laws that could radically improve road safety.
I recently returned from a trip to Spain, where I passed four speed traps in four days. If you are caught exceeding the speed limits there is an immediate €160 fine payable in cash. If the driver doesn't have cash the police make sure the car is in a safe position, take the driver to a bank or ATM and get the cash there. The driver is left to make his own way back to the car.
I drive approximately 28,000 miles a year in the course of my work. Only once in the past 22 months have I seen a speed camera on the roads that I travel. - Is mise,
DAVID SHEEHAN, Islandbridge, Dublin 8.