Recent developments have suggested that, as a society, we are beginning to treat drink driving with the seriousness it deserves. The most important event in that regard was a ruling by the Supreme Court during the week that the breath-testing machines used by the Garda Síochána are legitimate and do not infringe the constitutional rights of motorists. Too often in the past, clever lawyers and their wealthy clients have managed to thwart the intentions of the Oireachtas and undermine the common good by taking and winning such cases on technical grounds.
The Supreme Court decision will encourage members of the Garda to be more vigilant in their pursuit of those who ignore their responsibilities and drive while intoxicated. The introduction - earlier this month - of random breath testing in a targeted manner, is already having an impact. The number of drivers found to have exceeded the blood/alcohol limit increased by 10 per cent under the new regime. But we have not been told how many breath tests were conducted overall. And until this figure is made available we will not be able to gauge the full extent of our drunk-driving problem.
The Garda Traffic Corps is expected to number 800 soon. It is a significant improvement. But the number is insufficient to police our extensive road system effectively. If we want to ensure the emergence of a compliant motoring public, then we will have to pay for necessary infrastructure. And fear of being caught and punished for breaking the law is the single greatest incentive.
Many agencies have a role to play in making our roads safer. The Road Safety Authority has been handed the task of clearing the scandalous backlog of provisional drivers awaiting tests. The Labour Party has proposed more rigorous rules for newly qualified and provisional drivers. And Fine Gael has suggested the National Roads Authority should conduct a biannual survey of roads in order to identify and remove accident black spots.
Because a high proportion of fatal accidents occur on secondary and minor roads, county councils have a particular responsibility to provide good quality road signage. Road signs and markings are not only inadequate, at times they can pose a real danger. There are now hundreds of instances throughout the country where council workmen have installed 100km/hour speed signs at the approach to dangerous bends or narrowing roads. Some local authorities fail to remove cautionary signs when necessary road works have been completed. This cavalier attitude must change. We all have a responsibility to contribute to safer motoring.