Garda road traffic enforcement ‘should be monitored’
RSA chairperson Liz O’Donnell said she believed there should be an independent method of checking on the accuracy of Garda enforcement statistics.
It follows the controversy which emerged earlier this year when gardaí admitted that they had misrepresented the number of roadside breathalysers tests they had conducted over a five-year period.
Ms O’Donnell said the exaggeration by gardaí of the number of tests by almost one million between November 2011 and October 2016 was “very worrying”. Gardaí have been widely criticised for their ongoing failure to provide a full explanation for the inaccurate figures since they were revealed in March.
“The accurate reporting of statistics is necessary to inform road safety policies and credible enforcement management is an important partner in reducing fatal crashes and minimising criminal behaviour on the roads,” said Ms O’Donnell.
In the RSA’s latest annual report, Ms O’Donnell stressed that a visible garda presence was a key factor in changing the behaviour of road users.
The RSA chairperson said gardaí “at all levels” needed to prioritise roads policing.
She observed how the size of the Garda Traffic Corps had been reduced significantly from 1,200 in 2009 to 681 last year.
A total of 188 people lost their lives on roads in the Republic last year compared to 162 in 2015 — an annual increase of 16%. Ireland had the seventh lowest fatality rate in the EU last year – down from fifth in 2015.
The RSA has recommended that the number of gardaí dedicated to roads policing should be increased 10% annually to get back to pre-recession levels.
“This would ensure we have highly visible enforcement which acts as a real deterrent against law breaking on the roads,” said Ms McDonnell.
On new legislation proposed by Transport Minister Shane Ross to introduce a mandatory ban for all motorists caught over the legal alcohol limit, Ms O’Donnell said the penalties would reflect the seriousness of breaking life-saving drink driving laws.
She expressed hope that politicians would continue to find the courage to pass the legislation as they had in the past “by facing down narrow vested interests and those who claim stricter drink driving penalties will damage rural Ireland”.
“Rural Ireland faces many issues including transport, social inclusion and sustainable communities but the solution is not to be found by being soft on or condoning people who drink and drive,” Ms O’Donnell said.
The Road Safety Authority had also called for increased enforcement of rules banning the use of mobile phones while driving as studies show up to 30% of crashed are caused by driver distraction.
