The Government's primary target to reduce speeding on Irish roads has been drastically reduced following the publication of 1999 figures which show that more than half of all drivers exceed the 60 m.p.h. speed limit.
Announcing the publication of the second progress report of the Government's road-safety strategy, the Minister of State for the Environment, Mr Bobby Molloy, welcomed the reduction in the number of road fatalities and serious injuries in recent figures.
Last year 413 people died on Irish roads and 1,849 people were seriously injured, a marked decrease on 1997 when 472 people were killed and 2,182 seriously injured.
However, Mr Molloy said yesterday it was clear there were still a number of challenges facing the strategy.
"The level of compliance with speed limits and seat-belt wearing requirements remained significantly below the levels targeted for attainment by 2002.
"Drink-driving, despite the perception and reality of stricter enforcement and changed social attitudes, remains a major road-safety problem," he added.
He said a new Road Traffic Bill, currently being drafted, would introduce a penalty points system for driving offences and allow for random breath testing. It is unclear when the new legislation will come into force.
The Government's five-year strategy, launched two years ago, had originally aimed to cut by half 1997 figures which showed that 40 per cent of cars travelled in excess of the 60 m.p.h. speed limit. However, 1999 statistics show that 51 per cent of cars break this speed limit.
A report, compiled by a multi-agency group, has revised the target. It now aims to reduce the number of vehicles exceeding the 60 m.p.h. speed limit on a single carriageway from 51 per cent to 40 per cent by 2002.
The report also concludes it is "unlikely" that the strategy target to increase the wearing of front and rear seat-belts to at least 85 per cent will be met. Last year 55 per cent of drivers wore a seatbelt, an increase of 4 per cent.
"Campaigns to increase seatbelt wearing rates appear to have had little effect on male drivers and passengers," states the report.
A spokesman for the Department for the Environment said the new target for speed reduction was based on more reliable figures than those available when the initial strategy was launched.
He added that various factors might be adding to the rise in the statistics on speeding, including the existence of more young drivers and the availability of faster cars.
Mr Finbarr Crowley, the project manager of research for the National Roads Authority, said there was huge scope for expanding projects aimed at reducing driving speeds, such as the speed-camera project operated in partnership with the Garda.
"We are currently operating a trial area of speed cameras along the N1, N2 and N3 out of Dublin covering north Dublin and counties Louth and Meath. There is tremendous scope for expansion," Mr Crowley said.
He added that the authority was pleased with the effect of traffic-calming measures recently introduced and work aimed at improving safety at accident black spots.