Madam, - Three people died on our roads in the early hours of Saturday (in Roscommon, Cork and Kerry) and none of the crashes involved any other vehicle.
Firstly, I would like to extend my sympathies to the families of those who died.
Secondly, it appears to me that the Garda Síochána is concentrating its efforts on penalising speeding Dublin drivers in high-volume traffic areas (such as the Naas road and the Lucan bypass). This raises revenue through fixed fines that are usually not challenged, and makes the numbers of penalty points issued look good for reporting purposes.
But everybody can see that the bulk of road deaths occur at the weekend, often in isolated areas, often with no other vehicle involved. Perhaps the Garda would be better deployed on remote country roads, setting up road blocks in the small hours? It's time to face the facts about this issue. - Yours, etc.,
CIARAN BLACKALL, Malahide, Co Dublin.