AFTER YEARS of broken promises and too many tragic road deaths, the Government has finally got around to funding a privatised speed camera system. The first of 45 clearly marked camera vans took to the roads yesterday in a campaign designed to encourage motorists to slow down, to obey the law and to save lives. The scheme will be fully functional by next February when 600 dangerous stretches of road will be monitored intermittently, 60 of them in Dublin.
The Government and the Garda Síochána have been at pains to reassure motorists that this has not been designed as a revenue-raising exercise. The private company involved will not receive a commission or bonus, based on the number of speeding detections made. Clearly marked vans will be located near collision black spots. Any illegal behaviour will be referred to the Garda for further action through prosecutions, fines or the imposition of penalty points. The private system will supplement existing Garda speed checks.
Any action that reduces the number of road deaths should be welcomed by motorists and by the general public. Unfortunately, some drivers believe they are above the law or are capable of driving safely at inappropriate speeds. This group is not only composed of the notorious “boy racers”. It includes mature men and women, driving top-of-the-range cars. Evidence of a reluctance to conform to road safety requirements emerged yesterday when the Garda website crashed repeatedly due to the number of motorists logging on to find out where speed checkpoints would be located. An anxiety to avoid penalty points is understandable, but that can be achieved by obeying speed limits. Establishing the location of checkpoints, however, would suggest an a la carte approach to the law.
The Road Safety Authority (RSA) found speed the cause of more than half all single-vehicle crashes. And, as grieving families know, single-vehicle crashes are the primary killers. The RSA has done good work in raising public awareness of the dangers posed by speeding, not wearing seat belts and by drinking or drug-taking while driving. Last year, a combination of factors – including better roads and more visible policing – reduced the number of fatalities on Irish roads to a new low. But there is no room for complacency, particularly in the run-up to Christmas when all families would hope for a peaceful and enjoyable festive season. As winter sets in and ice makes road surfaces hazardous, motorists should slow down.