Sir, - The announcement by Mr Bobby Molloy of the "Fly the Flag" road safety initiative, organised by the National Safety Council, to take place over the next October bank holiday weekend, has sparked widespread media comment. The effectiveness of asking road users to fly a white flag/car pennant in support of a safety "charter" (of not speeding, not drink-driving, and always wearing a seatbelt) has been questioned, with the implication that efforts should be concentrated on enforcing road safety rather than awareness campaigns to change attitudes and more importantly, behaviour.
The Government strategy document "The Road to Safety" makes clear its commitment to enforcement as the principal and most immediate means of tackling our road death problem. Increased Garda resources, will, quite rightly, account for the lion's share of Government investment in the road safety programme 1998 2002.
As the body charged with promoting road safety in the State, the National Safety Council contends that, in the evolving society in which we live, behaviour will never be conditioned simply by means of enforcement or the fear of "getting caught". It recognises that "Fly the Flag" will not of itself alter the long-term behaviour of road users, but sees its role as emphasising a message of personal responsibility that is central to road safety. Appreciating that the priority is greater enforcement, there is a danger of road safety being perceived solely as the preserve of Government agencies. The key to this campaign is that it puts it up to the individual to exercise a positive influence on his or her peers by making a commitment to the above charter.
Road safety ultimately lies with the road user. The unpalatable truth is that we kill approximately 460 people on our roads each year and injure 13,000. These are not the accidents we sometimes like to take them for - they are directly attributable to irresponsibility and error on the part of road users. To achieve a sustained reduction in fatalities and injuries, a sense of this personal responsibility must be cultivated among individuals and community through campaigns which complement prevailing Garda activity. This is the aim of the Fly the Flag project.
The pledges of support we have received over the last few days from community organisations around the country have been most heartening, as has the commitment of companies to act as distribution points for flags/pennants. Indeed, that its announcement alone has generated debate in the national press is a promising early indicator for the campaign. It is clear that there is a sense of outrage within the media at road deaths and injuries. The bank holiday weekend in October is the occasion for a similar show of concern by the general public. - Yours, etc.,
P.C. Costello, Chief Executive, National Safety Council, Ranelagh, Dublin 6.