[Article] 70 road deaths this year, up 29 on 2003

Victor

http://www.rte.ie/news/2004/0301/roads.html

70 road deaths this year, up 29 on 2003
March 1, 2004

(18:33) Figures show that 70 people have been killed on Irish roads since the beginning of the year, 29 more than in the same period last year.

Reacting to the figures, Minister for Transport Seamus Brennan said there had been two significant factors influencing the statistics.

He said there had been a number of multiple fatalities this year and there was a big reduction in fatalities last year in response to the introduction of the penalty points system.

The Government has raised more than €9m in fines from speeding motorists since then, and this total is growing by an average of €132,000 per week.

It is 13 months since penalty points were introduced and since then an average of 1,650 people per week have incurred points. Those people have also had to pay a fine of at least €80 each.

The Department of Transport said yesterday that a total of 107,000 people have incurred points to date, including 6,600 people who have more than two points. This corresponds to a total of €9,155,440 raised for the Exchequer.

The Department's figures also show that one third of all the fines are being paid by drivers from Dublin.

http://www.breakingnews.ie/2004/03/01/story136436.html

Minister demands increase in garda speed patrols
01/03/2004 - 7:12:24 am

Transport Minister Seamus Brennan has reportedly demanded an increase in garda speed patrols following a huge surge in road deaths in the first two months of this year.

The number of people killed so far in 2004 is around 50% higher than in the same period of last year.

Reports this morning said the Government’s road safety strategy for the next three years included plans for greater enforcement of the speed limits to eradicate an impression that speeding offences are rarely detected.

http://home.eircom.net/content/irelandcom/topstories/2649528?view=Eircomnet

Over 100,000 drivers have penalty points
From:ireland.com
Monday, 1st March, 2004

The number of deaths on the roads is on the rise, with 21 more in the first two months of the year than for the same period last year, according to Garda statistics.

A total of 62 people have lost their lives in traffic accidents so far this year, compared with 41 at the end of February last year. The increase comes as the number of people receiving penalty points has just topped the 100,000 mark.

Safety appeals were not enough to stop the "unacceptable carnage", the Minister for Transport, Mr Brennan, said yesterday. "Vigorous enforcement of the law" was required.

The increase in road deaths has followed a year in which the number of deaths fell to 340, the lowest since the early 1960s. The decrease had been partly attributed to the introduction of penalty points.

A total of 107,125 drivers have earned penalty points since the introduction of the scheme. However, no motorists have been disqualified from driving. Ten drivers are on 10 points, just two short of losing their licences. Six of the 10 were Dublin drivers.

The increase in road deaths was a "very serious cause for concern", Mr Brian Farrell of the National Safety Council said, and raised questions about the impact of penalty points.

"It's impossible to say yet if we have a reversal of the trend, but it's fair to say that this time last year, in the first couple of months of the points system, there was a dramatic improvement in road safety. We will be watching this very closely and if there is a reversal we would be very concerned about that."

All drivers needed to examine their behaviour on the roads, he said. "We can only speculate why the figures for fatal accidents are rising back up, whether it is a question of enforcement or the impact of penalty points wearing off, but the principal reason is our behaviour on the roads. We would appeal to people to revert back to safer driving."

Mr Brennan said the number of tragic deaths in recent weeks showed an urgent need for a change in driver behaviour.

"Appeals alone will not bring this about. It requires vigorous enforcement of the law and the visible presence of gardaí on our roads and streets."

Dublin drivers accounted for the majority of penalised motorists, with more than 30,000 incurring points. The second-largest group - 14,424 - were the "no driver number" category - drivers from outside the State or those driving without a licence.

These drivers are immune from the points system as the scheme only covers motorists whose details are held on the National Driver Register.

There is no EU-wide penalty points system, but a spokesman for the Minister said talks were ongoing on the possibility of an integrated North-South system.

The make-up of the "no driver number" category needed closer examination, Mr Farrell said.

"This is a very serious number of people who are breaking the law, but can't be penalised. We should find out who this group is made up of, whether they are people outside the law or from an outside jurisdiction."

The majority of points were issued for speeding offences, while 3,372 drivers incurred points for seatbelt offences. Of these, 265 received points for not having children properly restrained.

http://home.eircom.net/content/unison/national/2649744?view=Eircomnet

Roads toll hits 67 as six die in weekend accidents
From:The Irish Independent
Monday, 1st March, 2004

A TODDLER accidentally knocked down by her father was one of six people who died on the roads over the weekend, bringing the total killed so far this year to 67.

The three-year-old girl, who was playing outside her home at Dunsoghly Close in Finglas, Co Dublin, died from serious head injuries on Saturday night after being struck by her father's van as he reversed it.

Both parents were in shock yesterday and the family asked that the child's identity not be released.

Two other people also died in the capital over the weekend, including a 72-year-old woman who was hit by a car as she came out of a church at Huntstown at 9.10pm on Friday.

And a 23-year-old motorcyclist died after his bike hit a temporary bollard on Davitt Road, near the Royal Canal, Crumlin, at 9.45pm.

In Co Monaghan, 15-year-old Christopher McElvaney from Smithboro died at around 4am yesterday morning when the car he was in hit a tree on the Roslea to Lisnaskea Road in County Fermanagh.

Just last year the dead youth's father, Terry McElvaney, died when his lorry overturned on the Smithboro to Roslea Road.

Three other youths, including Christopher's younger brother, Aidan, were taken to the Erne Hospital in Enniskillen. Their condition is not known.

In Galway, a man in his 50s died when his lorry went out of control and hit a wall at Clifden at 1.15pm on Friday.

Gardai in Co Wexford are investigating after a 39-year-old pedestrian was hit by a car at 11pm on Saturday. He was named locally as Jurgen Lieske from Ballyvalden in Blackwater.

Isabel Hurley and Grainne Cunningham

Victor

http://home.eircom.net/content/unison/national/2649744?view=Eircomnet

Call for more speed patrols as penalty points lose bite
From:The Irish Independent
Monday, 1st March, 2004

TRANSPORT Minister Seamus Brennan yesterday demanded increased Garda speed patrols after a surge in road deaths.

There is concern that the deterrent of tougher penalty points has worn off and drivers are ignoring speed limits with the result that road deaths are up 50pc already this year.

This is despite official figures yesterday showing that more than 107,000 drivers have now got penalty points.

Indicating tougher Garda enforcement of speed limits to reduce road casualties, Mr Brennan said: "Appeals alone will not bring this about.

"It requires vigorous enforcement of the law and the visible presence of gardai on our roads."

His statement follows claims by a member of the Government's High Level Group on Road Safety that gardai have dramatically reduced the number of speed checks - a claim disputed by gardai.

The Government's Road Safety Strategy 2004-2006 which was passed by the Cabinet last week and signed up to by gardai includes a "vigorous programme of enforcement by gardai" to get people to slow down.

This would "create the public impression that breaking the speed limit incurs an unacceptable risk of being caught".

Fred Wegman, the acknowledged international road safety expert who carried out a report as part of the strategy, concluded that increased enforcement was "absolutely vital for improved road safety".

He revealed totally inadequate levels of enforcement - he drove the length and breadth of the State and didn't find a single Garda checkpoint.

Mr Brennan said many drivers risk losing their licences in the coming months as over 600 now have six or more penalty points and 10 of these are on 10 points - just two short of automatic disqualification.

He also expressed alarm at the fact that some motorists are continuing to behave in a reckless way and are gambling with the lives of children by not restraining them in seat belts.

The latest statistics showed that over 3,000 notices for seat belt offences have been issued, including 265 for allowing persons under 17 years to travel in either front or back seats without wearing seat belts or child restraints.

While the numbers killed last year at 340 was the lowest number of road deaths on record since 1964 the tide has again turned with over 24 more deaths so far this year than in the corresponding period last year.

This means that despite all the publicity and appeals for safer driving, road deaths are running at an alarming 50pc more than in 2003.

Mr Brennan said the number of tragic deaths on the roads in recent weeks was a stark reminder to all road users not to become complacent.

The minister said he will be introducing a range of safety measures over the coming months including:

* The penalty points system will be extended to include the offences of dangerous overtaking.
* New legislation will make it an offence to use a hand-held mobile phone while driving.
* Garda powers will be extended to allow for full random breath testing to combat drink-driving.
* The roll-out of a network of speed cameras.
* New measures to eradicate the unacceptably high numbers driving on provisional licences.

Mr Brennan said he would also be publishing a new three-year Road Safety Strategy that would set out specific targets for reducing roads deaths over the period 2004-2006.

Treacy Hogan Environment Correspondent

Bee

It's sad that an ill thought out but with a few laudable points, (no pun intended!) idea i.e. "penalty points" has been allowed to flounder by the government.

That Gardai still go for the soft targets on relatively safe roads whilst not policing accident black spots is a scandal. Don't believe me? Check out the locations where they set inappropriate speed traps.

What have the folks who swore that penalty points would fix everything and the fools in the speed-kills brigade have to say for themselves now? Are they mature enough to listen to proven arguments that speed does not kill and the penalty points cure-all-ills is bull droppings?

It's ironic that Britain and other european countries who have been through these speed camera etc debates are starting to re-think the issues backed by genuine research, while here we are, years behind the pack, starting down the same road with very little thought behind it.

Apparently the only result penalty points has produced is an extra 9 million in the governments back pocket through fines. Is it too much to ask that that money be now put back into improving the roads and placing a dedicated traffic corps (as promised and broken by FF :rolleyes: ) on them ay the real accident blackspots.

Having thousands drive around on provisional licenses, inept policing along with dangerously designed roads result in carnage. It's quite obvious that driver training and attitude are the type of things that need to change. Although that's not something that yields juicy statistics for the government to flaunt when the next election comes around.

Meanwhile the Gardai swan around with little regard for the law they are there to uphold , I can't see much changing.

Bee

mike65

I dont think theres much need for concern at these figures (beyond the obvious). Over a short period the numbers are bound to fluctuate, last year we went through a 2 week period when no-one died, it meant nothing as such.

On the speeding, yesterday in Cork I was going down the Lower Glanimre Road heading towards the railway bridge just past the train station, a Renualt Laguna past
me doing 40. That section of road is tricky with building work, park cars on both sides and a slight downhill slope. Just as "Go-Faster" got past me a garda stepped out speed gun in hand and flagged him down. Two points.

Mike.

Tommy Vercetti

Yeah they were outside Joel's Restaurant with their Gatso van on Sunday morning at 8am saving lives again :rolleyes:

Villain

They were in the 30mph zone on the dublin road out of Wateford last night at 11pm, not a car or person in sight. Genius organistaion that is, how many people get killed in 30pmh speed zones??

Tommy Vercetti

Originally posted by irish1
They were in the 30mph zone on the dublin road out of Wateford last night at 11pm, not a car or person in sight. Genius organistaion that is, how many people get killed in 30pmh speed zones??

A friend of my mother was killed in one at the weekend.

Villain

Originally posted by Tommy Vercetti
A friend of my mother was killed in one at the weekend.

Sorry to hear, I didn't mean no-one was killed in 30 zones, just think Gardai should concentrate on black spots, if that happens to be a 30 zone fair enough, but I suspect the majority of accidents happen in national speed limit zones.

Andrew Duffy

Pedestrians get killed in 30 mph zones. That's what the speed restriction is there for. The selfishness of some of the posters to the motors forum is staggering, and now it's spreading here.

Villain

Originally posted by Andrew Duffy
Pedestrians get killed in 30 mph zones. That's what the speed restriction is there for. The selfishness of some of the posters to the motors forum is staggering, and now it's spreading here.

Yes but how many compared to that of people killed in 60 mph zones??

John R

AFAIR more fatalities occour in 30 zones then anywhere else. The problem is that there are far too many roads with 30 and 40 restrictions, if the areas were more realistically assigned people would be more likely to take notice of them. The danger areas could then be strictly enforced instead of the current situation where wide straight roads with stupidly low limits are used to catch people out leaving dangerous drivers free to barrel around country roads and city streets at insane speeds safe in the knowledge that the gardai are sat on the side of a nearby dual carriageway or motorway.

Villain

Originally posted by John R
AFAIR more fatalities occour in 30 zones then anywhere else.

Can you provide any facts to back that up?

Heres a link that doesn't seem to support your cliam:
http://www.nra.ie/PublicationsResources/DownloadableDocumentation/RoadSafety/d993.PDF
One point:

Twenty-eight per cent of all fatal accidents in 2002 occurred on urban roads.

Tommy Vercetti

Originally posted by irish1
Yes but how many compared to that of people killed in 60 mph zones??

There's an awful lot more 60mph roads than 30mph roads though, even still, 28% of fatal accidents on urban roads is around 100 per year, which is a huge amount considering a speed of 30mph isn't very fast i.e. people are ignoring it.

Villain

Originally posted by Tommy Vercetti
There's an awful lot more 60mph roads than 30mph roads though, even still, 28% of fatal accidents on urban roads is around 100 per year, which is a huge amount considering a speed of 30mph isn't very fast i.e. people are ignoring it.

Agreed but still think the gardai should concentrate on 60 zones between the hours of 9 pm and 3 am.

Victor

Originally posted by irish1
Heres a link that doesn't seem to support your cliam:
http://www.nra.ie/PublicationsResources/DownloadableDocumentation/RoadSafety/d993.PDF

If I'm right that year was an exception, with a big drop in pedestrian (i.e. urban) deaths. I will root through previous years.

Villain

Originally posted by Victor
If I'm right that year was an exception, with a big drop in pedestrian (i.e. urban) deaths. I will root through previous years.

Thirty-two per cent of all fatal accidents in 2000 occurred on urban roads. The proportion of
fatal accidents occurring on rural roads fell by two percentage points to 68%. Forty-three per
cent of all fatalities in 2000 occurred on national roads, a fall of one per cent over the 1999
figure

4% less than 2000 hardly makes 2002 an exceptional year now does it Victor?

Victor

http://www.rte.ie/news/2004/0312/road.html

Figures show road deaths reach 79

March 12, 2004

(22:44) New figures from the National Safety Council show that 79 people have died on Ireland's roads so far this year, up 25 on the same period last year.

The NSC says the figures are a source of concern, with fatalities rising again after a drop last year when the penalty points system was introduced.

It has jointly launched a new anti-speeding road safety campaign with the gardaí, targeting all drivers in the run-up to St Patrick's Day. 'Operation Lifesaver' will run until midnight on Wednesday 17 March.


Meanwhile, AA Roadwatch has warned of treacherous conditions on roads this weekend with persistent rain, strong winds and snowfalls set to continue.

mike65

It has jointly launched a new anti-speeding road safety campaign with the gardaí, targeting all drivers in the run-up to St Patrick's Day. 'Operation Lifesaver' will run until midnight on Wednesday 17 March.

Typical, one day they'll have a campaign based around bad driving....:rolleyes:

Mike.