The problem of tackling the ever-rising road death toll

Instead of getting safer, our roads are becoming increasingly dangerous places/

Last year, road deaths claimed the lives of 374 people, 39 more than in 2003. This year is already the worst year for road deaths since 2001, with 390 dead at the last count. This means road deaths are now approaching the same level they were at before the introduction of penalty points for speeding, back in the autumn of 2002.

The year 2006 will be crucial for the powers that be in tackling this endlessly rising road death toll, and the fact that a general election is waiting in the wings will not be lost, no doubt, on those in power.

Whether it is Minister for Transport Martin Cullen, Minister for Justice Michael McDowell, or even the Taoiseach himself, somebody in authority will have to take charge and make road safety a priority in 2006.

The National Roads Authority's latest report on road collisions, Road Collision Facts 2004, paints a depressing picture, but it can serve as a useful tool for Messers Cullen, McDowell and Ahern when they sit down in February and think about the year ahead.

The report confirms that they need to be taking on motorists who continue to drive inappropriately fast, those who drink and drive and those who drink and speed at the same time.

It tells us that 26 per cent of road fatalities happen between 9pm and 3am and a further 10 per cent of fatalities happen in the later hours of darkness between 3am and 6am.

In other words, 36 per cent of road fatalities happen at night or early in the morning, when only a tiny percentage of maximum traffic volumes are on the road.

This backs up a recent Garda research showing 45 per cent of all fatal accidents take place between midnight and 4am.

The report also confirms what is blazoned across our television screens most Sunday nights - that the worst time of the week for road deaths is at weekends. Saturday and Sunday together account for 41 per cent of fatalities on the roads in 2004, with Mondays and Tuesdays being the safest. This is also backed up by the Garda research, which showed most accidents occur at exactly the same hours of Saturday and Sunday that most arrests are made for drink-driving. The patterns of fatalities and of drink-driving arrests are almost identical.

The NRA report again confirms that the most common type of fatal crash in 2004 was where there was only one vehicle involved. Thirty six per cent of all fatal collisions in 2004 occurred like this, representing an increase of three percentage points over 2003.

A pattern is developing: the last NRA report on crashes, based on 2003, showed a similar increase in the instance of single-vehicle crashes, which are now by far the most common type.

Again, this type of crash is strongly associated with excessive speed, alcohol consumption or both.

Couple this with a few other facts and a clearer picture emerges. More than 51 per cent of fatal crashes or crashes causing injury occurred on straight roads; more than 71 per cent of such crashes happened in dry weather; and driver error was listed as the main contributory factor in 88 per cent of all collisions. See tables on right for a full breakdown of these figures.

So what needs to be done? The Government, it seems, has the right idea, but just can't implement key strategies to reduce road deaths once and for all.

Based on the findings of the latest NRA report, the introduction of random breath testing and the roll-out of a sensible and fair network of speed cameras will help tackle the two key areas of speeding and drink driving.

Greater visible Garda enforcement, coupled with a particular focus on night-time and weekends and the expansion of the penalty points system will help tackle driver error.

These are all great plans. But they largely remain plans.

Random breath-testing was originally due to be introduced in the Government's road safety strategy six years ago under Seamus Brennan's charge, but it has been delayed by concerns the measure may not be constitutional and that it may be challenged if introduced too quickly. Cullen has said he is preparing legislation to enable random breath-testing.

On speed cameras, Cullen plans to have a network of privately operated speed cameras. A report commissioned by the Government recommended earlier this year that most checks be carried out at weekends, especially between midnight and 3am. Cullen originally said he would bring forward legislation in the autumn to allow for the speed cameras to come on street. This did not happen and now he is saying legislation will be brought forward "shortly".

The penalty points saga continues, meanwhile, with the Department of Justice saying it will be April next before a proper computerised system is in place to handle the full range of offences.

The link between the Garda's Pulse computer system and other computer databases will not be operational until next April.

Penalty points are applicable to only four driver offences out of a proposed total of 69. These are: breaking the speed limit; not wearing a seat-belt; careless driving and driving without insurance. Cullen wants the system expanded to include dangerous overtaking, failure to obey traffic lights, stop-and-yield signs and vehicles crossing the centre white lines on roads.

If he wants the same positive results seen in 2002 and 2003 after the initial introduction of the system, he will need to ensure proper, visible enforcement by the Garda.

It is to be welcomed that the Department of Justice recently announced that the Garda Traffic Corps would be increased nationally from 530 to 805 next year, with a further increase in 2007 to bring the corps to over 1,000.

But the general consensus seems to be that the Government has not given enough priority to road safety issues. Former head of the National Safety Council Eddie Shaw resigned from his post last month, saying that he had to take responsibility for failing to convince the Government to invest in its own policies on road safety.

A new Road Safety Authority will take over from the council in January. Shaw said the Cabinet needed to agree at least three ministers should stand over the authority. He said the Departments of Transport, Justice and Health must all play their part. The evidence from the NRA is clear for the ministers to see and probably confirms what they already know or suspected. Now they need to act. Election 2007 might just be the shot in the arm that they needed.