What should Gaybo do about road deaths?

international | rights, freedoms and repression | opinion/analysis Wednesday March 29, 2006 13:30 by Mick

Seven factors which may explain this horrific phenomena

What are the causes?
This is not scientific but I believe that a scientific study would probably identify these factors in order of significane.

1. Public ignorance and stupidity.
2. Speeding
3. Alcohol and drugs.
4. Poor driving tests and skills and lack of knowledge of the rules of the road.
5. Poor secondary roads.
6. Poor enforcement of road laws by police and lenient punishments for offenders.
7. Increased road usuge and congestion in urban areas.

Most importantly - "What is the solution?"

1. Despite years upon years of bombardment with often hardhitting cinema, television, newspaper and school educational campaigns - wear a seatbelt, don't drink and drive, slowdown, be observent and learn the rules of the road - from infancy through adolescence and into adulthood - the public has simply no excuse for its ignorance and no excuse for not taking the necessary precautions that would prevent road accidents. Road deaths are heavily publicised with graphic photographs showing the effects of high speed impacts on vehicles - yet drivers still believe that because they are psychologically cocooned within a shell of glass and steel they are somehow physically cocooned from high speed moving objects in their path. A quick thrawl through the internet will allow you to view graphic images of what blunt force trauma actually does to the human body in fatal accidents - not the polite TV and movie image of a few dark bruises on the forehead and a trickle of blood out of the corner of the mouth - but disfigurement, dismemberment and impalement.

2. You see it everyday on the roads. Not just the stereotypical boy racer but people of all ages both male and female are bombing along the road even with unsecured kids in the back. They do not seem to understand that human reaction times at high speed should some unforseen event occur will be too slow to react and prevent a fatal accident. This happens on clear stretches of open road but also in narrow streets and on winding country roads.

3. Alcohol and drugs - you simply cannot control a vehicle when you are even mildly under the influence of alcohol or drugs - I believe that even if you are taking medication you should not be driving car. Yet people obstinately refuse to see reason.

4. It hardly needs to be said that the availability and the standard or road driving tests by both public and private testers is simply abominable. Hundreds of thousands of people are allowed to drive on the road for years without a full license and even if you fail practical or driver theory test you are straight away climb behind the wheel of car, van or truck. Drivers of all ages are flouting the rules of the road - just travel on the M50 and the hair will stand up in the back of your neck as cars weave through traffic.

5.The standard of our motorways are excellent but the secondary road network is simply insane - roads originally designed for horse and trap with hills, bends, twists and blind turns serve as major routes through many country areas.
Increasing numbers of bungalows are being built in the countryside so you may never know when you will round a turn and crash into a car emerging from a gateway or a lorry or tractor and trailer emerging from a field or building site.

6. Garda are underresourced and undermanned and not surprisingly undermotivated to enforce the laws of the road in Ireland - besides if you include the factors I have mentioned above which contribute to accidents they are fighting a loosing battle against an ignorant stupid and often biligerent public. The backlog of road offenders before the courts and the lack of jail cells for the most serious offenders has made a mockery of punishments - a few hundred quid of a fine and out the door the go - I doubt whether the Garda and the courts can successful prosecute the high numbers of drivers who are uninsured or driving even though their licenses are suspended or are banned from driving.

7. The slow construction of roads either cost overruns due to incompetent lazy construction companies hovering up public money and the planning premission obstructions of eccentrics have led to increasing congestion on existing roads and congestion inurban areas. After hours of snail pace jams once drivers emerge onto open road they floor the accelerator flaut the rules of the road and suprise suprise you have accidents.

What can be done?
More media and educational campaigns will fail because they have failed in the past due to the stupidity and ignorance of the public.
The public will not slowdown.
The public will not stop drinking and driving.
Even if the backlog and the standards of driving test improve the positve effects will be negated by the factors just mentioned.
The secondary road system is too vast to be completey designed and rebuilt.
The above factors will drain garda manpower and resources and court time and jail and crush the moral of law enforcers not matter what resources and new legislative powers are thrown at them. They are losing the battle and continue to lose the battle.
Construction of roads by governments inevitably leads to cost overruns - politicians approach road construction from a politcal viewpoint - not a cost benefit analysis. Likewise when private companies appointed by their political cronies and are paid with public money they cream it off. Eccentrics will always be eccentrics and they will always have the right to object in a democracy to every project they want even if the majority support it.
The economic boom in Ireland is the result of the free movement of people, skills and goods - it is inetivable that means increasing road usuage and frustration from traffic jams - but nobody is seriously suggesting we prevent the free movement of people, skills and goods.

So what is the solution?

The truth is there is none.
Government, media, law enforcement and Gaybo can only do their best.

It all comes down to the public at the end of the day. They are the ones using the roads and they are the ones killing themselves. It is up to them to change things.

I wouldn't hold my breath.