THE Garda is to set up a new traffic policy bureau to reduce the unrelentingly high level of road deaths and injuries.
The new unit will attempt to direct policy on targeting places and times where there is the highest risk of road death and injury. It will also liaise with Government" Departments, safety and road authorities to help develop a coordinated strategy on reducing road casualties.
It is likely that a new campaign to reduce road deaths will involve greater activity by the Garda traffic branch, particularly in rural areas on the outskirts of towns where there are heavy traffic levels and poor road systems.
The fleet of Garda vehicles is being increased and later this year the force is to receive 20 four wheel drive, all terrain vehicles mainly for traffic branch use. It would also involve a publicity campaign to try to encourage better driving.
Gardai have already been en gaged in a major effort to try to reduce speeding and careless driving. Since last October it is understood gardai have imposed more than 16,000 on the spot fines of £50 for driving offences.
Fatal road traffic accidents continue at an average of between eight and nine a week.
The Republic has an unusually high number of car driver and pedestrian deaths. Most deaths in cars happen on busy rural roads. Increased levels of traffic on out of date roads is a major factor in the number of car deaths.
The low number of bypasses around provincial towns is a contributory factor to pedestrian deaths. Speeding and drunkenness are also very major factors in a large percentage of accidents.
It is not clear if any consideration is being given to reducing speed limits and blood alcohol levels, although such developments may emerge in the near future as a result of EU initiatives. The EU Transport Commissioner, Mr Neil Kinnock, is proposing a reduction in all EU speed limits by 5 km an hour and the reduction of blood alcohol levels to 50 mg. The present legal level here is 80 mg.
Although figures for road deaths in 1996 have not yet been officially published, it is understood the number has increased from 437 in 1995 to 455 last year. The total for 1994 was 404. The latest available statistics show that 57 people were killed in January and February this year. This is one more than in the corresponding period last year. A total of 1,452 people were injured in road accidents in January and February this year.