Limerick road tragedy highlights need for greater enforcement
Posted on September 13, 2010 at 12:01 PM
The tragic accident in Limerick in which three people died last night brings to 150 the number of people killed on our roads this year and comes just weeks after the accident in Kerry where four people died.
The two vehicle collision was between a car and a van and occurred on the N21. The four occupants of the car and three other passengers in the van thankfully seem to have avoided serious injury.
This accident again raises the issue of proper road safety and passenger safety following on from the recent Donegal tragedy, where seven people died in a car which was fitted with four or five seatbelts. It also highlights the fact that all passengers in any vehicle must have and wear their own seatbelt. This is a point that seems to be ignored by some Irish road users. In a recent EU survey it was revealed that 47 per cent of Irish people consider that not wearing seatbelts was a major safety problem.
A key factor in reducing road accidents and fatalities is the enforcement of all the road traffic laws. It is especially important that the rules surrounding seat belts and obeying speed limits are properly enforced. There is also a definite need to continue to raise the awareness among all drivers of the importance of wearing a seatbelt and reducing their speed when travelling in any vehicle. Advertising campaigns warning of the dangers of not wearing a seatbelt coupled with those warning of the fact that speed is a major factor in road fatalities have been very good in raising awareness and need to continue unabated.
Finally, the Minister for Transport, Noel Dempsey, needs to address a range of outstanding road safety issues including the national speed camera rollout, speed signage and limits, and the Graduated Driver License Scheme together with the recently published proposals from the Road Safety Authority.
