Mentally ill driver, but not "Dangerous Driving" charge

pinkbear

I had a very scary incident last night where a driver who appeared to have severe mental illness went crazy on the road and rear ended my car 4 times and pushed my car along. I was with my teenage daughter, and neither of us are really hurt, and the car has escaped barely scratched. She continued to sing, dance and shout on the street for 25 minutes, putting herself on front of other cars and interacting loudly (and mostly incoherently) with passers by. The guards arrived and the incoherent driver was taken away by them. However I have just heard that she will not be charged, because she didn't take her proper medication, and she has mental illness. She is home now, and they have advised her to not drive again until her medication issue is sorted out.

I suppose I just want to open a general discussion about this. I feel very strongly that in an incident like this where my daughter and I could have been very badly hurt or killed, as could a number of other drivers and pedestrians, there really should be some way of someone like this getting a dangerous driving conviction. The garda told me that there is no point in bringing her to court as she wont get a conviction, and it's just wasting garda and court time.

I have utmost sympathy for anyone suffering from whatever she is suffering from, but surely if someone has the ability to snap so badly, they shouldn't be driving. There were two kiddie seats in the back of her car, so obviously she must be a mum or have small kids in her car, and having witnessed her behaviour I believe they are at risk.

If she had been a pedestrian and attacked me, she would surely be charged, so surely when she's "armed" with a car, similar rules should apply. I'm wondering if it's worth my while getting back in touch with the garda to try to persuade them to charge her.