Fr Con McLoughlin observed at the funerals of five Donegal road accident victims last Monday that it was as if a generation of young people was being lost. The shock and horror in the aftermath of the accident was palpable.
Certain parts of the country, especially the Buncrana area, have been particularly hard hit. During the past 18 months, 20 people have died there in traffic accidents. And three-quarters of the deaths involved no other vehicle. In other words, speeding, the quality of the road surface and other factors were the most likely causes of the accidents.
It has been estimated that driver error lies behind more than 80 per cent of fatal accidents. That is a harrowing statistic for the families of loved ones who have died. But such an unpalatable reality cannot be ignored if we are to reduce the number of road deaths. The quality of driving must be improved. That should be done through better training and a greater awareness of danger by motorists, along with an increase in the Garda presence on our roads to enforce the law.
Earlier this year, Road Safety Council chairman Eddie Shaw strongly criticised the Government for not according road safety the priority it deserved. It will be four years before random breath-testing legislation takes effect. The necessary investment has not been made in driving test centres, in compulsory training schemes for motorcyclists, in speed camera systems and, most especially, in a dedicated and adequately-staffed Garda traffic corps.
At the moment, there is a backlog of more than 131,000 waiting for a driving test. And the shortest waiting period is about six months. This is a disgraceful, long-standing and worsening situation. Minister for Transport Martin Cullen now proposes to employ temporary driving testers to help clear this backlog. After that, he wants to introduce a more rigorous test designed to make drivers more aware of their responsibilities.
What is going on here? It would seem the elimination of waiting lists, rather than road safety, is the Government's concern. If a more rigorous driving test is warranted, it should be introduced now. Mr Cullen's approach carries faint echoes of the infamous decision by a former Fianna Fáil minister in the 1970s to grant driving licences to most waiting applicants. Just to clear the waiting list. We are still living with the consequences of that decision in terms of poor driving standards. But the majority of recent deaths have involved young people. Proper training, a more rigorous driving test and the comprehensive enforcement of traffic laws is required.