Increase in road deaths - questions need to be asked

Seth Brundle

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121962534#Comment_121962534

You're suggesting that people driving may not realise that they are breaking the law. This is an utterly preposterous suggestion.

But to humour you, which specific offence do you think drivers may not know that rhey are breaking?

May I also add that ignorance of the law is not and never has been an excuse to break it!

Wanderer78

cocaine is a hell of a drug!

Uncle Pierre

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121962523#Comment_121962523

Really?

The thread in question here was basically a main post whose message was "Motorists - be aware of cyclists and share the road safely with them", followed by another which basically said "And cyclists, by the way - you can do certain things too".

Cue consternation and outrage.

Are we really to believe that if there was just one post in isolation, which basically said "Cyclists - be safe on the roads - Do A, B and C", with no accompanying mention whatsoever of what motorists should do, that there wouldn't be at least equal if not greater consternation and outrage among you?

downtheroad

As a driver in Ireland you can kill someone and not go to jail. There is almost no roads policing from the Gardai.

Drivers have no fear of enforcement or punishment, which results in more road laws being broken, and a poorer standard of driving across the board.

We reap what we sow.

https://www.irishtimes.com/crime-law/courts/2024/03/11/driver-who-caused-death-of-young-french-tourist-in-dublin-gets-suspended-sentence/

Seth Brundle

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121963480#Comment_121963480

I couldn't give a toss if they start a new thread on bike maintenance (and they have done so IIRC), etc. but the idea that adding a make sure your bike is roadworthy as a direct reply to a drivers please don't drive into cyclists post is absolutely sh1te communications and seems to be a common enough strategy with the RSA. Disagree if you wish but there's not much point in me repeating myself over and over.

magicbastarder

'consternation and outrage' is a bit strong.

it's just bothsidesing; 'oh, we've told motorists to behave, now we'll have to tell cyclists to also, otherwise motorists will complain. snd shur road safety is everyone's responsibility'.

Trampas

Is it “alarming high” A total of 140 people have been arrested for drink or drug driving, according to figures from An Garda Síochána's Roads Policing Unit.

Inspector Padraig Sutton from the Roads Policing Unit in Co Limerick, said that in the last 24 hours, 45 people have been arrested nationally on suspicion of driving while intoxicated, whether that be drink or drugs, or both.

I don’t know if it is or not. Is it 45 in Limerick? That could be a more after wedding or something. No context to numbers

Green Peter

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121962499#Comment_121962499

I was wondering where to start, thanks

ottolwinner

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121951755#Comment_121951755

im sure it could be done with driving simulators.

AndrewJRenko

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121962678#Comment_121962678

we're twelve deaths up on the same period last year.

That's not good.

drury..

A recent contributor to the problem is dangerous stretches on new roads. Notably N roads round here anyhow.

They're crossing heaps of minor roads and the junctions are black spots

zell12

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121963886#Comment_121963886

It actually says in the piece: in the last 24 hours, 45 people have been arrested nationally on suspicion of driving while intoxicated

ToweringPerformance

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121964188#Comment_121964188

We are doing incredibly well given the amount of people on our roads compared to decades ago. 1978, 628 deaths as an example. I have my suspicions about why we are hearing so much more about road deaths now compared to then.

https://www.rsa.ie/docs/default-source/road-safety/r2---statistics/road-deaths-in-ireland-1959/road-deaths-in-ireland-1959-to-2020.pdf?sfvrsn=2f120623_7

beggars_bush

No gardai presence on the roads

Simple as

Phone use, drugs, alcohol and speed

snotboogie

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121964282#Comment_121964282

It's hardly news that there are a lot less road deaths now compared to the 70's. The reasons for this are obvious and are borne out across developed countries globally.

magicbastarder

in 1978, cars were made out of papier mache and powered by the stink of alcohol on the driver's breath.

AndrewJRenko

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121964205#Comment_121964205

Roads aren't dangerous. Drivers are dangerous.

whisky_galore

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121962678#Comment_121962678

Kind of like saying it's great we are living longer now that bubonic plague isn't a thing anymore.

AndrewJRenko

We're doing very well on cancer survival rates compared to decades ago. Should we give up on anti smoking campaigns now?

Or should we be aiming to reduce deaths further?

We're about 25% up on last year's death rate.

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121964282#Comment_121964282

drury..

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121964316#Comment_121964316

Simplistic statement

Im referring to particular black spots well known to me

Seth Brundle

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121964427#Comment_121964427

Is it simplistic to ask if every passing driver crashes at those black spots and, if they don't, why?

airy fairy

At every change of traffic lights at least 2 to 3 cars will drive through a red. Not an amber turning red, but a solid stationary red. There are no guards to police this. I remember many years ago there were often guards waiting to pounce at lights for something like this.

If we can't even enforce the basics, in towns and cities, where guard numbers are higher, (and obviously should be more), then policing country roads will never be policed.

Also. All insurance to drivers under the age of 25/30 should only be given with a monitoring box. If someone is driving correctly, then they should have no reason to be against the box.

Red Silurian

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121964474#Comment_121964474

If someone is driving correctly, then they should have no reason to be against the box.

A bit simplistic, especially on country roads where most of these crashes take place and good drivers have to regularly take sudden movements to avoid idiot drivers, pot holes, cyclists. The real worry is that these boxes punish the good young drivers out there

Also how many crashes at traffic lights have caused deaths this year? As far as I can tell they're all on our country roads

magicbastarder

there's a usually trivial riposte to the 'our roads are among the safest in europe'; by asking someone making that claim 'are you willing to come cycling with me on country roads, or even urban roads?'

Stephen_Maturin

Surely the surge in our population in the last 5 years means more people on the roads and by extension, more deaths no?

airy fairy

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121964560#Comment_121964560

I think you're missing my point as regards to red light adherence. I'm simply stating that if someone can blatantly break a red light and get away with it continuously, then taking further chances on the road, knowing you won't get caught increases. We need to start at the small stuff as regards to policing.

Also, the boxes can be adjusted to where only speed is taken into consideration during monitoring. My daughter recently took out her second year of insurance and choose the box again and unless she exceeds something crazy like 160kph then she's ok. And we live on rural horrendously poor roads. No need for swerving or taking sudden corners if within the speed limit.

Stephen_Maturin

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121963886#Comment_121963886

I would be interested to see a full breakdown of what the specific intoxicant is

Due to our incredibly low threshold limits Cannabis users can be picked up by the new machines several days after smoking, when they are no longer impaired in any way.

Obviously anyone that is actively high should be banned from driving and jailed. But I would suspect a portion of these are unlucky cannabis users in the wrong place at the wrong time. This creates additional statistical noise that makes the issue appear more severe than it may be.

Do we record data on specific intoxicants involved in crashes?

thomas 123

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121964205#Comment_121964205

I’d say the morons dangerously overtaking, undertaking at full Speed when cars are turning right(day and night, bends or no bends), going 120+ when the limit is 80 Or a 100, not slowing down through small villages where traffic calming is present(50/60k zones) is more the issue then the lovely new roads. Lots of absolute clowns full of self importance rushing around going nowhere I think!

FishOnABike

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121964316#Comment_121964316

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121964441#Comment_121964441

The design (or lack of design) of a road can contribute to the risk of a collision e.g. poor sight lines, poor or worn road markings, inadequate maintenance of verges and hedges, poor road surface, adverse camber on a bend, poor placement of signage, short or no merging lane to allow traffic entering a road get up to the speed of traffic on a main road, etc. can all contribute to the danger.

If road conditions weren't a factor, collisions would be more evenly distributed across the road network.

Ultimately it is the driver's responsibility to drive to conditions, but drivers aren't perfect so at some point improving the conditions becomes a significant factor in reducing collisions. Roads need to be designed and maintained with the average (or less than average) driver in mind, not the perfect driver.

If we really want to get to target zero, the roads themselves will become an increasingly significant factor.

Red Silurian

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121964585#Comment_121964585

I think you're missing my point as regards to red light adherence. I'm simply stating that if someone can blatantly break a red light and get away with it continuously, then taking further chances on the road, knowing you won't get caught increases. We need to start at the small stuff as regards to policing.

Yeah that's not an awful idea to be fair. The cops would need to be out all day every day at the lights in our small towns to catch the guys causing the fatal collisions though. Perhaps a level of automation is required to catch everybody. I'm thinking similar to our speed cameras we use a camera that would catch and fine anybody breaking the red light, with proper exceptions for emergencies of course

Also, the boxes can be adjusted to where only speed is taken into consideration during monitoring. My daughter recently took out her second year of insurance and choose the box again and unless she exceeds something crazy like 160kph then she's ok. And we live on rural horrendously poor roads. No need for swerving or taking sudden corners if within the speed limit.

You're not selling the idea of these boxes being much good honestly. Not much use trying to stop somebody driving 160km/h on a rural road where most fatal collisions happen at 80-100 and are unlikely to be speed related