Commercial firms in Dublin should be asked to contribute to a greatly-enhanced road safety scheme in the capital, a Dublin Corporation plan to be published later this month will recommend.
The corporation wants to install infra-red cameras on notorious accident blackspots in the city, which will photograph speeding drivers and may be used in Garda prosecutions.
Mr Michael Byrne, road safety development officer, told The Irish Times yesterday that the plan aimed to reduce road traffic accidents in Dublin by 20 per cent over a five-year period. Currently, about 38 people die annually in road accidents in the city and about 2,400 are injured.
Mr Byrne, who was speaking before a meeting of the Dublin Road Safety Council, said the advertising and promotional budget of the council was about £40,000 and came entirely from corporation resources. There is no funding from central government. Mr Byrne described the funding as "a drop in the ocean" compared with the gravity of the problem.
The council met in its quarterly session yesterday evening. Mr Byrne said it was formed 30 years ago in Dublin and included 15 local councillors, the Garda, school wardens, the Boy Scouts, the Girl Guides and the churches. "We want to become much more pro-active in promoting road safety in Dublin," Mr Byrne added.
The corporation's road safety plan will propose a campaign that will be funded by commercial sponsors. It will also propose regular road safety audits which will identify the areas where the problems are greatest.