There has been too much talk and not enough Garda enforcement or legislative action where road traffic offences are concerned. Motorists are reverting to their dangerously immature ways because of a limited threat of detection and prosecution. The number of people being killed and injured on our roads has begun to rise. The latest figures show an increase of 21 in the number of road deaths in the first two months of this year, while more than 100,000 drivers have incurred penalty points since 2002.
Research has shown that the law-abiding behaviour of motorists is directly influenced by fear of detection and punishment. The introduction of penalty points made a significant impact on that conduct. Suddenly, speed limits were being obeyed; seat belts were being worn and there was a precipitous drop in the number of people being killed and injured through motoring accidents. The Minister for Transport, Mr Brennan, was praised for his determination to introduce the scheme at an early date, in spite of conflicting advice from within the Garda Síochána. Bureaucratic and administrative problems affected its smooth introduction but, in spite of that, the number of road deaths fell to 341 last year, from an average of about 400 under the previous, five-year road strategy that ended in 2002.
For some time, the Coalition Government has been planning a new road safety strategy, covering the years 2004-2006, and with a target of reducing the number of road deaths to 300 a year. A Road Traffic Bill will shortly be introduced in the Dáil and it will form the central core of the scheme. The Garda will be given statutory powers to conduct random breath tests and to identify drunk drivers. New penalties for road traffic offences will be introduced. Private contractors will take over the introduction and operation of a significant number of speed cameras, so as to free up Garda manpower and resources. The collection of fines will also be transferred to the private sector. Separate legislation will cover the granting of provisional driving licences. And there will be mandatory training for motorcyclists, a group which accounts for 20 per cent of all road deaths.
An enormous increase in the number of drink driving and speeding checks is envisaged under the new regime. Such an approach would certainly get the attention of motorists and encourage them to obey the law. But while private contractors may be in a position to install and operate thousands of new speed cameras, with State funding, the Garda Síochána has consistently failed to provide visible and effective traffic policing. The Government's promise of 2,000 new Garda recruits has not been kept and the force is already over-stretched in responding to crime. If the scourge of drink driving is to be effectively tackled, more resources must be provided. That expenditure would be more than recouped through social savings and hospital costs.