Sir, - Another weekend of 12 dead this time. When will the Minister for Justice begin to enforce the law on our roads? The Garda seems to have no consistent programme of law enforcement. It is always a case of reacting to a bout of tragedies with "Operation So and So" - a temporary knee-jerk response.
Speeding, drink driving and seat-belts are the primary factors. On speeding, gardai is playing a token role at present with ad hoc checks using speedometers and a few cameras. When I see them, they are usually checking speed on new bypasses or dual-carriageways. The reality is that young drivers are speeding everywhere - along small winding country roads, as well as on the primary routes. They are driving aggressively, speeding and overtaking dangerously. I see them every day of the week.
Regarding drink driving, a recent survey revealed that 97 per cent of those breathalysed were over the limit. What a coincidence! It would appear that gardai are quietly turning a blind eye to the issue and only checking those drivers who are very obviously drunk at the wheel. When will the Minister and the Garda realise that drink driving is still rampant. I have never been stopped at a checkpoint or breathalysed since I started driving 18 years ago!
Only 50 per cent of Irish drivers wear seat-belts. Seat-belts save lives. So much for enforcing a law which was introduced over 10 years ago! I have never been stopped for a seat-belt check.
Where is the monitoring? Where is law enforcement? Is one dead person per day okay with the Minister? The Minister for Justice should realise that tough enforcement of the law is required. The softly-softly approach of education and training is totally insufficient and certainly will not show any improvements in the short term. Very tough penalties, licence confiscations and prison sentences with suitable education programmes are required. The penalty point system should be introduced without delay. A massive programme of speed monitoring, drink driving checkpoints and seat belt checking needs to be introduced.
In addition to this, I believe that gardai need to be reorganised to give specific focus to road traffic law enforcement. One person is killed every day on our roads. The Minister should be reminded of this every single day. - Yours, etc.,
Richard Coffey, Castlefarm, Shankill, Co Dublin.