RSA head targets societal acceptance of road safety offences

It was as a senior engineer with Bus Éireann, a company traumatised by the Kentstown crash in 2005 in which five schoolgirls died, that Moyagh Murdock saw first hand the impact of road deaths.

Bus Éireann had pleaded guilty to charges arising from the crash of failing to maintain the vehicle properly, after one of its coaches overturned.

She said the crash affected the organisation deeply and resulted in more robust procedures and a renewed focus on safety. So when the Road Safety Authority advertised for a new chief executive, Murdock applied and was appointed in February last year.

From Newry, with an engineering degree from Queen's, Murdock has spent 20 years working with transport firms, including Aer Lingus, and admits being more comfortable with the operational side of her role rather than lobbying and media appearances.

She does, however, have the benefit of an outsider’s eye when it comes to road safety issues linked to Irish society.

She can see clearly the lingering acceptance of drink driving, an almost anarchic willingness among some to drive while disqualified, and a “remarkable” laxity among parents who allow adult children drive unaccompanied.

And she plans to address all these issues.

Unfathomable

“Growing up in the North it was unfathomable a learner would get into a car if you did not have a qualified driver beside you. It was the only benefit of the Troubles – there were so many police and army checkpoints.

“It may be how parents here learned to drive, but they are too lax about allowing their adult children unaccompanied access to a car. Unaccompanied, inexperienced drivers are five times more likely to be involved in a fatal crash. A lot of parents miss that fact.”

These risks escalate when groups of young, non-licence- holders get into a car together. "Some states in Australia are looking to limit to two the number of young people who can be in a car together, unless they are family members."

Another measure linked to passengers is targeting those who accept a lift from a drunk driver. While the proportion of deaths linked to alcohol has fallen sharply in recent years, the next goal is to curb the willingness of passengers to get into a car with someone who has been drinking.

While this year is on course for a welcome return to declining road fatalities, a High Court ruling that a breath alcohol test statement must be presented in Irish and English is seen as a major setback .

She admits the ruling is “frustrating” as it has effectively stalled prosecutions based on this device until an appeal is heard early next year.

Baffled by inconsistencies

More generally, Murdock admits to being baffled by inconsistencies in judicial decisions in the lower courts when they deal with road traffic cases, including the ongoing use of the poor box, despite this being banned as an option.

“Some District Court judges are hard on drink drivers, others are more sympathetic. Why? You either broke the law or you didn’t. It should be consistent.”

She is also disappointed at the willingness of judges to reduce on appeal sentences handed to drink drivers who kill or seriously injure.

“It sends out completely the wrong message. We cannot influence judges, but we have to change the culture that drink driving is acceptable. I have met relatives of those killed by a drunk driver and they feel it is all in vain when sentences are cut.”

Another change Murdock is keen to effect is that of disqualified drivers continuing to drive. To counter this the agency plans to publish a database of all drivers disqualified in court.

Those accumulating 12 points and receiving an administrative disqualification, will not be included.

“What I see is a culture here that it is acceptable to drive while disqualified. That must change.

“The database will have a big impact, in the same way as publishing the tax offenders’ database [did] .”

Disqualified drivers will face hurdles before their licence is restored – Murdock wants to see the introduction of a requirement to complete a driver education course and a requirement to resit the driving test.

She also hopes the database will force the insurance industry to take its “head out of the sand” and become more proactive about cancelling cover for disqualified drivers.

“People are not inclined to drive when they are uninsured but they will drive when they are disqualified. It is an Irish thing, a cultural thing.

“Insurers here provide the cover and then take on the battle if there is a crash. That is not the way to change culture.

It is different in the UK, she says, where insurers are swiftly told of disqualifications and the policy is cancelled immediately. “That sends out a big message.”

“Too many drivers here feel it is ok to drive while disqualified because they are technically insured. They think: ‘I’m insured, way hey, I got away with it. This has to stop.”

She also hopes the database will force the insurance industry to take its “head out of the sand” and become more proactive about cancelling cover for disqualified drivers.

“People are not inclined to drive when they are uninsured but they will drive when they are disqualified. It is an Irish thing, a cultural thing.

“Insurers here provide the cover and then take on the battle if there is a crash. That is not the way to change culture.

It is different in the UK, she says, where insurers are swiftly told of disqualifications and the policy is cancelled immediately. “That sends out a big message.”

“Too many drivers here feel it is ok to drive while disqualified because they are technically insured. They think: ‘I’m insured, way hey, I got away with it. This has to stop.”