Madam, - MD Kennedy (August 19th) asks who is responsible for oil spills on the road but is mistaken in assuming that it is the oil companies. We in the National Safety Council are working with the Automobile Association, the Irish Petroleum Industry Association and the Garda Síochána to build up clear statistics on the sources of oil spills on our roads.
Those transporting oil are most definitely not the main source of spillages. The truth is that the vast majority of what are reported as "oil spills" are in fact leakages of engine oil as a result of road accidents when, for example, a drive-shaft breaks.
The solution is for all of us to be more careful on the roads. Our collision may leave oil that may cause a further collision. - Yours, etc,
BRIAN FARRELL,
National Safety Council,
Ranelagh,
Dublin 6.