[Article] Alcohol testing likely to have cut road deaths, says authority

Victor

http://home.eircom.net/content/irelandcom/topstories/8995851?view=Eircomnet

Alcohol testing likely to have cut road deaths, says authority
From:ireland.com
Saturday, 30th September, 2006



The Road Safety Authority has said the introduction of random alcohol testing of motorists may be behind a sharp fall in the number of people killed on the roads this month.

So far 19 people have been killed in September. This compares with 31 deaths during September last year and 34 deaths during September 2004.

The number of people killed in road crashes this year to date is down slightly at 276, compared with 278 for the same period last year.

The recent drop in road deaths has followed the introduction of an expanded list of penalty point offences and random alcohol testing at the end of July under the Road Traffic Act, 2006.

Under this legislation, the number of drivers tested for drink-driving has soared, with up to 6,000 motorists breath-tested at checkpoints every weekend.

Brian Farrell, spokesman for the Road Safety Authority, said road deaths in August and September were significantly below the monthly average, which is about 30.

"While it is too early to draw any firm conclusion as to the cause of this change in behaviour, the introduction of mandatory alcohol testing may have been a factor," he said.

It was revealed yesterday that the Department of Transport is to bring amending legislation to the Dáil next Wednesday to correct a typing error in the Act.

Legal sources said the error means a driver who refuses to give a breath sample at a checkpoint is unlikely to be successfully prosecuted for drink-driving. Only a handful of drivers so far are understood to have refused to provide such a sample, and those who do face prosecution, a €5,000 fine and/or six months' imprisonment.

The Garda Traffic Bureau has said the typographical error in the legislation will not affect its enforcement activity.

Róisín Shortall, Labour Party transport spokeswoman, said the lesson from the typing error was that the Department of Transport needed to appoint its own senior counsel.

"There have been a number of slips in legislation recently and the department don't have any qualified legal advice," she said.

Olivia Mitchell, Fine Gael transport spokeswoman, said problems identified with the Road Traffic Act, 2006, strengthened the case for consolidating all the existing pieces of road traffic law into one Bill.

http://home.eircom.net/content/unison/national/8996102?view=Eircomnet

New road safety efforts fail to keep motorists in line
From:The Irish Independent
Saturday, 30th September, 2006




A NEW survey reveals the failure of the Government's road safety measures, including penalty points, to stop widespread dangerous driving.

It shows drivers in the south of the island are not as threatened by garda checkpoints or speed cameras as motorists who live adjacent to the capital.

Drivers in Leinster, other than Dublin, were the most likely to think they would be caught.

Motorists all over the country admitted to breaking a host of road safety rules and seven out of 10 believed the penalty points system was not effective.

The nationwide Lansdowne Market Research survey also found:

* Seven out of 10 motorists admit to breaking the speed limits.

* Six out of 10 admitted to driving when tired.

* Three out of 10 admitted to dangerous overtaking.

* More than two out of 10 admitted to driving without a safety belt.

* A total of 17pc admitted to drink driving.

* Munster motorists are less likely to believe they will be caught flouting road safety laws than drivers in Leinster.

Younger males are the most likely to admit to road safety transgressions, although older males (35-44 years) were most likely to admit to drink driving.

Just over half of motorists felt they were unlikely to be caught speeding or arrested for drink driving offences. An overwhelming majority believed that driving while tired, under the influence of prescription drugs, road rage, or dangerous overtaking, were among the offences they were most likely to get away with.

The loss of a driving licence was seen as the biggest deterrent against drink driving.

"Low expectations of the likelihood of being caught is affecting the public‘s confidence in the penalty points system," said Irish Insurance Federation president John O'Neill, who commissioned the survey.

"It is clear that no progress has been made in changing this view," he added.

Anne-Marie Walsh

Capt'n Midnight

http://www.actuaries.ie/
http://www.actuaries.ie/Press%20Office/Press%20Releases/060927_PR_Road%20safety_%20success%20of%20penalty%20points%20not%20maintained.pdf

THE SOCIETY OF ACTUARIES IN IRELAND
Press Release
27 September 2006
Road safety: success of penalty points not maintained
Analysis of road deaths to be published shortly by the Society of Actuaries in
Ireland
While there was a significant reduction in road accident fatalities in Ireland following the
introduction of penalty points in 2002, the death rate subsequently increased again six
months later. If the rate of deaths per car had been maintained at the level achieved
immediately after the introduction of penalty points, there would have been a total of 255
fewer deaths since then, or about 78 fewer deaths per annum. This is one of the points
made in an analysis of road deaths in Ireland to be published shortly by the Society of
Actuaries in Ireland.
The actuarial analysis points out that Irish road fatalities have been on a downward trend
for many years. “The downward trend is somewhat masked by the relatively strong
growth in population, and very strong growth in car ownership. The number of deaths per
car has fallen by almost 70% over the last twenty-five years.” However, there has been a
reversal in that trend since 2004. 2003 saw the lowest number of deaths for over forty
years, and this is commonly attributed to the introduction of penalty points in late 2002.
Since 2003, both the absolute number of fatalities and the number of deaths per car have
risen. Even in 2003, however, the number of deaths per car in Ireland was 70% higher
than in the UK. In fact, Ireland appears to be lagging about 10 years behind the UK.
“This shows just how far we have to go to match EU best practice”.
Ends

http://wwa.rte.ie/news/2006/0927/roads_roadsafety.html

Points effect could have saved lives: analysis

27 September 2006 11:16

A new analysis of road deaths has concluded that if the reduction in fatalities following the introduction of penalty points had been maintained, 255 fewer people would have been killed on Irish roads.

The report from the Society of Actuaries in Ireland also found that if Ireland had been able to achieve UK safety levels, the number of lives saved would have been 560.

The analysis notes there was a significant reduction in road accident fatalities here following the introduction of penalty points in November 2002.
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However, the death rate subsequently increased just six months later.

The report found that since 2003, both the absolute number of fatalities and the number of deaths per car have risen.

In that year, the number of deaths per car in Ireland was 70% higher than in the UK.

That is one life which could have been saved every two days since May 2003.

Yesterday, an EU survey found Ireland lies seventh from bottom of all European countries in cutting deaths over the past five years.

jimmycrackcorm

Interesting. I'm of the opinion that we are being openly lied to regarding the effect of the penalty points and random alcohol testing. I believe too that road fatalities don't reflect the population and car-ownership growth. For example there has been, over the last few years, a spate of fatalities involving non-national drivers. So logically had they not migrated to Ireland then native road fatalities would have decreased.

Victor

jimmycrackcorm wrote:

I believe too that road fatalities don't reflect the population and car-ownership growth.

Toaster ownership is also up, does that make toaster deaths acceptable?

D'Peoples Voice

Victor wrote:

Toaster ownership is also up, does that make toaster deaths acceptable?

Good point, I heard the American Gun Lobby in the USA make a similar point about selling semi-automatics to unstable emotional teenage kids.

However, given a relatively modest increase in road space since 2000 vis-a-vis the increase in the number of cars on those same roads, it would in all proability lead to a greater number of accidents.
That is not to say that a MASSIVE majority of deaths don't happen in Ireland at weekends in the wee small hours when traffic is at it's lightest!
A lot of it is down to Local Authority laziness IMHO, take the stretch of road alongside the canal between Baggot Street Bridge and Sussex Road. The road markings have badly need repainting for years now thanks to utility companies digging up the road. Several times cycling on my bike, I've nearly been hit by a car close to the Mespil Hotel, especially in wet conditions. No doubt when some young kid is creamed on his bike, then someone will find the money to paint white lines on the road.