ONE PERSON a day has died on our roads thus far in 2008. And the progress made in reducing the number of fatalities and serious injuries during the past two years is beginning to unravel. Public complacency and a return to bad and dangerous driving habits have been blamed by Road Safety Authority chief executive Noel Brett. But the reasons for that change in behaviour have not been identified.
It is too easy to blame others when things go wrong: the Garda Síochána for not mounting a sufficient number of road checks to deter unacceptable activity; the Government for failing to deliver the promised speed cameras; and publicans for selling alcohol to vulnerable motorists and pedestrians. These criticisms may be valid. But they allow those accountable for road deaths and serious injuries - the so-called "plain people of Ireland" - to evade responsibility for their actions.
A culture which for decades turned a blind eye to the evils of drunk-driving is hard to change. But it is happening. Slowly. In the same way, drug-taking and driving cannot be tolerated. And basic safety requirements, such as wearing seat-belts and keeping within speed limits, must be enforced. Studies have shown that the level of public compliance with traffic laws is directly related to a fear of being caught. There is a message here for the Garda and the Government.
Taking personal responsibility is not something we are good at. That must change. As Mr Brett pointed out,everybody favours road safety measures until they begin to impact on themselves. At that stage, all kinds of excuses and special pleadings are advanced to justify why necessary changes should be halted or rolled back. Powerful economic interests are the most vocal. We hear that drink-driving laws are making life miserable for farmers. We hear about the destruction of social life in small towns and villages. And we are told that any reduction in the blood/alcohol limit for motorists would only criminalise innocent people.
It is time to get real. Alcohol is a contributory factor in one out of three fatal car crashes and in two out of five pedestrian deaths. Ninety per cent of the victims are male. That should tell us something about ourselves and our abuse of alcohol. It isn't just the drink, however, that sends loved ones home in coffins. One in four who die are not wearing seat-belts. Speeding is a defining factor. We need tough drink-driving laws; we need stricter enforcement and, most of all, we need to modify our own behaviour.