Sir, - The tragic road deaths of recent weeks have focused unprecedented public and media attention on the road safety issue. They have also led to a plethora of comment regarding the cause of the current epidemic, be it road infrastructure, inexperienced drivers, driver testing procedures, signposting, speed capability of vehicles, etc. While each of these areas warrants attention from the relevant responsible authority, the National Safety Council, as the body charged with promoting road safety in the State, is concerned that the very multitude of causes being put forward will serve only to confuse what is fundamentally a simple matter.
The proven primary causes of crashes on our road network are our own failure to drive at an appropriate speed and our consistent failure to observe drink-driving regulations and advice. The number of fatalities and injuries is further increased by our failure to wear seat-belts at all times. To add to these three core causes is to distract from an issue whose solution lies entirely in the hands of the driver. It is also to provide that driver with the scapegoats he/ she needs to justify his/her own irresponsible driving behaviour.
For the first time the Government has published a national strategy on road safety, the Road to Safety, which sets a specific target over its five-year life to reduce by 20 per cent the number of fatalities on our roads. The upcoming road safety conference the Drive to Save Lives, which takes place at the Royal Hospital Kilmainham on October 29th, is designed to support this strategy and to produce a summary of the actions which, if taken, will guarantee its success. This will be done by drawing on experiences from the UK and Australia which demonstrate how compliance with speeding and drink-driving regulations and seat-belt wearing have brought a dramatic reduction in fatalities and injuries.
If we undertake similar programmes in Ireland, we could save 100 lives and prevent 2,000 injuries each year. This is a worthwhile objective.
Of course debate and discussion are useful in highlighting the road safety problem, but do not let them deflect from the reality: that by driving at a safe speed, refraining from drinking and driving, and by wearing a seat belt, we can substantially reduce the number of crashes and consequently the number of deaths and injuries. End of debate. - Yours, etc., Pat Costello,
Chief Executive, National Safety Council, Northbrook Road, Ranelagh, Dublin 6.