Road safety is an election issue

The bloody slaughter continued unabated on our roads in 2000 with 413 people losing their lives in fatal traffic accidents. Countless more were injured and maimed. With the exception of a few high profile accidents these tragedies largely went unnoticed by the general motoring public. However, behind every statistic there lies a tale of tragedy that only the families and friends of the victim can fully understand. It is time to stop the slaughter.

It will take a huge change in driver attitudes and radical action on behalf of the Government to halt this wanton waste in human life. The National Safety Council have been charged with educating the motoring public. The National Roads Authority is proceeding with a massive civil engineering programme to improve the country’s road network and the Gardai are actively pursuing enforcement. Yet the Government need to do more.

In what may very well be an election year, it is time to make road safety an election issue. The party hacks are already gearing up for a blitz on the nation’s doorsteps. The “hand shaking” and “baby kissing” will begin in earnest when Bertie Ahern calls a General Election. Government politicians need to answer some tough questions in relation to their road safety strategies. A General Election offers the voter the ideal opportunity to ask some awkward questions.

Questions must be asked in relation to the delay in introducing the penalty points system. The Irish Insurance Federation, the Automobile Association and the National Safety Council have long since called for its introduction. The Gardai believe its introduction would be its single biggest weapon in combating the carnage on roads.

Conor Faughnan public affairs manager with the Automobile Association and a board member of the National Safety Council has slammed the Government for their failure to introduce the penalty points system even though there is a broad consensus of opinion in favour of its introduction.

“There is very broad support for this initiative but it is just taking too long. It is absolutely maddening. They say now they will have it in place by the end of 2001 but even that is looking optimistic now.”

Mr. Faughnan believes the introduction of the penalty points system is not being prioritised by the Government. “I suspect that the source of the delay in the penalty points system is that it is not high enough a priority. It just isn’t an election issue.”
The penalty points system has been up and running in the U.K. for many years. Since its introduction road fatalities have been significantly reduced. Under the U.K. model a driver starts with a 12 point licence with points being deducted for various offences from speeding, non wearing of seat belts, dangerous driving etc. If a driver accumulates12 points in a three year period the licence is revoked. The licence is automatically revoked for one drink driving offence.

In addition to the 12 point licence the National Safety Council are pushing for the introduction of a three point licence for “L” drivers, which would mean they would lose their licence after one offence. “Boy racers” might stop to consider their driving habits if this proposal was adopted. The prospect of being put off the road for receiving a single speeding ticket would surely act as a strong incentive to slow down.

The penalty points system was introduced in Northern Ireland in 1997. Recently David Trimble and Seamus Mallon looked forward to the day when the island has an All-Ireland road safety strategy. The talk is of a transferable penalty points system where penalty points imposed in one jurisdiction transfer directly to the other. Brian Cowan and Liz O’Donnell will have a lot of explaining to do the next time they meet the First and Deputy First Ministers.

If the situation wasn’t so serious it would be laughable. Can you picture a red faced Brian Cowan explaining to David Trimble that the Republic has yet to introduce a penalty points system, never mind one of the transferable variety?
Junior Minister Bobby Molloy de-regulated the taxi industry in one fell swoop. Molloy’s gritty determination is to be applauded. A similar will (by Noel Demspey in the Department of Environment) to ‘move mountains’ is needed to solve the penalty points issue.

Now that Molloy has the ‘bit between the teeth’ it is hoped he will turn his attention to the thorny subject of ‘L’ drivers and the intolerable waiting lists for driving tests. It is a typical Irish solution to an Irish problem which makes us the laughing stock of Europe.

‘L’ drivers are forced to wait upwards on a year to sit their test. To exacerbate the situation the Government condone the crazy situation of allowing ‘L’ drivers to drive unaccompanied on their second provisional licence while the Gardai virtually turn a blind eye to ‘L’ drivers driving unaccompanied on their first, third and subsequent provisional licences. Is it any wonder that an Irish motorist is twice as likely to be killed in a road traffic accident as a motorist in the U.K.?
If the introduction of a penalty points system and a radical overhaul of the driving licence debacle saved just one life in 2001, surely it is worth going the extra mile.