Sir, - As I write, the news is full of the grim facts surrounding the needless deaths of 12 on our roads over the holiday weekend. We hear that speed is the killer and the £50 fines dished out by the Garda do not appear to work as an effective life-saver. Why should they? Swelling the Government coffers by reeling in motorists at £50 a go on the M4, M7, the Arklow bypass, etc. will not go one whit towards producing a better or safer driver. What is needed is the redeployment of our Garda resources against behaviour which demonstrates a lack of road sense, manners and courtesy.
Daily we all see motorists overtaking on hatched areas, running red lights, crossing single and double white lines, failing to drive close to the left, towing unlit trailers and infringing many more of our traffic laws. This behaviour is surely symptomatic of a deep misunderstanding of the responsibilities which rest on us all when we get behind a steering wheel.
It is time that our gardai got out from behind their cameras and laser guns and started to tackle the above issues aggressively. Only then can we expect to see a more responsible attitude to good driving behaviour. Speed does not kill; it is excessive rate of progress combined with poor driving skills and bad practices that kill - and 20 m.p.h. can be more than enough. - Yours, etc,
C. McCarthy, Cabinteely, Dublin 18.