Madam, – Many people who have suffered serious injury or lost a loved one in a traffic collision have felt very vulnerable due to an apparent lack of resolve on the part of government to recognise our plight and our right to justice.
Often there is a less than thorough examination of the collision scene, a failure to breathalyse or test for illicit substances and a failure to inquire as to the overall competency of those involved. As a result, in far too many cases there is either a failure to bring any charges, or charges are brought which do not reflect the seriousness of the crime, and sometimes fines are imposed which minimise the seriousness of the traffic offences and (albeit unintentionally) mock the injured and the dead.
Parc (Public Against Road Carnage) Road Safety Group has been pushing for change. 1. In April 2007 after much campaigning of government we finally got a promise in writing from the then taoiseach Bertie Ahern who stated that if Fianna Fáil was returned to power, compulsory testing at collision scenes would be introduced “without delay”. 2. On October 16th, 2007, on the 6pm RTÉ 1 news, Minister for Transport Noel Dempsey stated he was introducing legislation for the compulsory testing of all drivers involved in collisions within six months. Such legislation, the Minister said, would be a great deterrent and would send out a very clear message. 3. On February 27th, 2008, a delegation of Parc members met the Minister in Leinster House where he assured us that the legislation would be published before the Dáil rose for the summer. 4. The next written promise was that legislation would be published in the spring of 2009. 5. The last written promise from Mr Dempsey (pre-election) stated that the legislation would be published before the Dáil rises for this summer 2009.
Legislation to save the Irish banks can be published and passed in jig time. Yet legislation to save the lives of Irish people and protect their health can be put on the long finger ad infinitum. How long more do we have to wait before action is taken? How many more will be injured or die on our roads before the Government decides to do what is right and just? Let the Government prove to us now that our lives are at the very least almost as important as the banks. Let us have this legislation not just published, but enacted before the summer recess. – Yours, etc,