The Government couldn't care less about road safety

Markus Antonius

In light of the disproportionate amount of deaths on our roads already in 2024, the debates are kicking-off again with the same old culprits - drink driving, drug driving, speeding - all taking the blame once again.

Yet, they refuse to tell us how many deaths are actually attributed to these factors. Quite the slap in the face to the families of those who have died in crashes.

I would like to know why the RSA continue to hide info on accident black spots in the country. If I'm driving around I want an interactive map, a flashing beacon, a giant sign - ANYTHING that will inform me that the road I have entered is a driving black spot. But no, the government really couldn't give a flying f**k. If people knew where the black-spots were then they would only want action, a resolution. Government are allergic to action of course. And resolutions are bad for the climate.

2016 the RSA decided to pull the black spot data that they previously published (very quietly) on a monthly basis. For what reason? GDPR of course. All I want is a crude map of the country with a giant black dot on the area that is dangerous for me to drive through. I'm not looking for the PPS number, the eircode, the death certificate of every person who died there 🙄

Allinall

If you’re driving around anywhere, it’s your responsibility, and yours alone, to make sure you drive safely and don’t injure or kill anyone.

Clo-Clo

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/2058332100/the-government-couldnt-care-less-about-road-safety

Don't know the road then slow down.

Not sure why you want to know "accident black spots"? drive the car safely. Why you need a flashing beacon to tell you to drive safely?

kippy

A lot of factors no doubt, but I'd love to know how many accidents, fatal or otherwise, where it has been shown that the driver was distracted by use of a mobile phone.

That, I believe is a bigger and bigger issue in all accidents.

GHendrix

Dangerous roads and dangerous road layouts etc should all be reviewed.

It’s so silly always just focusing on speed but lower limits a tiny bit looks good and is easy to do

Wildly Boaring

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121637059#Comment_121637059

100%

Phone usage is off the charts.

Huge touchscreens not a lot better

Cluedo Monopoly

The government only care about issues that are trending. Then they only care about them while they are trending. Essentially they react in the short term but in reality achieve nothing. It's the worst government in a century. What have they actually achieved through legislation or spending? Zero.

eastie17

Ah yeah “the gubberment” at it again the feckers

Mrs OBumble

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/2058332100/the-government-couldnt-care-less-about-road-safety

Here ya go:

Seriously, you should be driving like every road is a black spot, because they are. (Yeah, even those bits of west Cork that I didn't manage to cover.)

Atlantic Dawn

There should be records taken of the call and data history of drivers phones leading up to collisions in all fatal accidents.

sameoldname

I'm not willing to blame the government for this, it's down to drivers. Whatever about driving standards before the pandemic but since then, people have just lost their goddamned minds on the roads. The most basic principals of safe driving have atrophied in a large percentage of drivers.

I live rurally and everyday on my commute I meet at least 3 or 4 people driving around blind bends in the middle of the road. And then you see the look of shock when they have to take evasive action because in their shriveled brain the idea of meeting an oncoming car obviously never occurred to them.

I don't know why this has become so prevalent but if you're more worried about hitting a stationary ditch than a moving car you have no business driving on the roads with other people.

Markus Antonius

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121637245#Comment_121637245

You simply can blame the government as if we had a proper bus network these idiots would not feel compelled to drive in the first place

sameoldname

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121637293#Comment_121637293

There is a bus service that just started last month. It's also completely irrelevant to my point.

65535

Coming up to Youghal bridge back last year there was a 100Kph sign just before the bridge - thankfully someone had the cop on to remove it.

Roads should be graded according to the speed that they can carry - If it is a 100Kph road then it should be possible to drive safely at that speed on that road but take the 'goats path' - the N71 from Glengarriff to Kenmare - it's signed 100 but you will find it difficult when driving through the Caha Pass and Turners Rock Tunnel to even reach 60

Motorways have a proven safety record when you total up the number of vehicles per day - yet we still drive on R roads between the 2 largest cities outside of Dublin.

Jim2007

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/2058332100/the-government-couldnt-care-less-about-road-safety

Ya right, based on your definition there must be a lot of things we all don’t give a crap about since we are not going to give you what ever data you decide you want….. stamping your feet when you don’t get whatever you want is very silly.

animalinside

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121637322#Comment_121637322

The speed limit is supposed to be an absolute maximum, something you must stay under - not the speed that you should ensure you're doing at least, as some people seem to think.

aziz

What pisses me of is the amount of people that when there side of the road is blocked by parked car or whatever,think that’s is perfectly fine to drive on the other side

yeah just plough away,and run me off the road ,ya Audi driving prick

Del2005

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121637344#Comment_121637344

This is constantly said but the problem is that actions speak louder than words and when doing your driving test if you don't do the speed limit you get marked down. The other issue is that our driving test is a joke 30 minutes driving around a 50 or 60 zone and you are good to drive on boreens and motorways. Especially when people thing the 12 EDT lessons are all you need to learn to drive.

Why aren't the coroners reports into fatal RTCs made available for easy research? We get massive media coverage of the crash but we are never actually told what was the cause. The move to lower all the limits would make sense if we knew that the cause of fatal RTCs was the driver doing 75km/h on an 80km/h road and it makes no sense if they where doing 120km/h on a 80km/h road.

kowloonkev

There are cars on the road with a big screen that can be used to watch movies while driving. How is allowing those brands of cars on the road good for road safety? I can't check my phone at traffic lights but someone can be booting around tertiary roads watching Netflix.

Thespoofer

I suppose an accident can happen on any part of the road TBH OP.

Del2005

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121637365#Comment_121637365

You can't watch the screen when driving unless you hack the system. Plenty of people are driving around with their mobile phone mounted in the middle of the screen under the rear view mirror, which creates massive blind spots, while using maps or watching movies/sport/etc.

kowloonkev

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121637368#Comment_121637368

Is it illegal to hack the system in your own car?

Del2005

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121637370#Comment_121637370

No, it's illegal to watch Netflix while driving though. The cars are sold where the ability to show videos only works when stopped then people hack the system to watch when moving, but people with cars that can't show Netflix are driving around with their phones playing Netflix.

The car being able to play videos or games doesn't mean that you can play videos or games while driving, just like a car being able to do 180km/h doesn't mean that you can do 180km/h on a public road here. Even the cars where people complain about everything being on touch screens is BS as they all have voice control so there's no need to use the screen while driving, it's takes a bit of practice to get used to the commands but you can control nearly everything by voice with zero need to take your eyes off the road.

zell12

'accident blackspots' are the same as then oft-used 'killer junctions'. aka deflect the blame from the vehicle operator

SharkMX

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121637074#Comment_121637074

My new car has a touch screen for everything. All functions are in menus where you have to look at the screen and do multiple taps.

To turn up the heating temp its 3 taps. You have to be looking at the screen to do it. Same to turn on the radio. Or even the fog light.

These things are worse than putting car controls on a phone for the driver to change via phone.

I dont know how it happened that touch screens became the norm instead of buttons, but i think its a total U-turn for car safety.

pgj2015

N plate drivers are the worst, saw one the other day driving at around 70 mph in a 50 mph zone, my dash read minus 3 degrees at the time, I could feel that the road was icy in spots.

I saw around 15 drivers yesterday driving while using their phone, the reason they are so blatant about it is there are zero Gardai to catch them using the phone. phone use while driving should be a 500 euro fine and 7 points.

kippy

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121637322#Comment_121637322

The point in bold is extremely flawed logic and if taken as gospel by anyone, is another significant cause of accidents.

It is ultimately up to individual circumstances to determine a safe speed for oneself in any given scenario. For example weather conditions, traffic, type of vehicle being driven will all effect what one would call a "safe speed" - again within reason. There is some level of individual responsibility required. They aren't a target though, that is for sure.

It's hard to blame "bad roads" for the issues - while there are no doubt "bad roads" thats not really within the control of the individual driver - what is in their control is how thye drive on these "bad roads" and their driving should be modified to suit the standard of the road/risks etc.

Blaming the state, the council, the roads etc isn't a good situation, while no doubt more can be done to improve things, ultimately your life is in your own hands, unless of course some other idiot road user does something daft that leads to your early demise as well, in which case it's in everyones interest to tighten up on laws and regulations in relation to road use.

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121637456#Comment_121637456

I don't have a new enough car to have one of these in it but I have seen them and have often wondered about the distraction levels one of these can provide. As you've said, its relatively easy on most "older" cars to change certain things around the car environment etc that don't require a whole lot of attention. I am sure not all of these newer cars have voice controls but even if they do, I am sure they are not 100 percent reliable.

batman_oh

Speed is the easy thing to blame and be seen making an effort on. Slap a few speed cameras/checks on big national roads, bring in double points and fines for bank holidays and that'll stop everything apparently. You'll never see one on a crappy backroad at night where a lot of fatal crashes happen.

Mobile phone use is actually a joke now too, I was waiting to turn into my driveway recently and some guy coming down the road literally driving straight at me, crossed the centre line and I had to swerve the car towards the kerb to avoid him. Head in the phone the whole way. Going around on a motorbike you can really see it, huge amounts of people not looking while driving. Also putting everything on screens, genius idea that. If you want to adjust anything you have to stare at a stupid screen and start messing with it.

prunudo

Growing population equals more road users, more road users equals more chance of accidents. Also factor in the increase of greater commuting distances by more people and service vehicles driving up and down the country. The local economy is in decline and much more common to have sales and tech people driving all over the country as part of their job.

Personally never seen the roads so busy, was a time there would be a lull in the middle of the morning, traffic is constant now. So stands to reason there will be more accidents.

Rsa are blinded by reducing numbers, 'Vision 2050' where they want zero road deaths by 2050 is an unachievable goal. They need a rethink about how they are going to reduce numbers but it will never be zero.

Carlito Brigantes Tale

Phone use and massive touchscreen entertainment systems in modern cars aren't the governments fault. As a motorcycle rider I've almost given in taking the bike out at this stage due to drivers simply not paying attention to the road anymore..

Take personal responsibility

prunudo

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121637456#Comment_121637456

I'm glad you've admitted it, I've made this point for years, cars themselves are getting too distracting, but anyone I've said it too seems oblivious to it and proclaims it as a good thing and the convenience is great. Driving has become too convenient and people have become detached from the task at hand.