The number of deaths on the State’s roads so far in December is down by 45 on the same time last year, according to the Garda Siochána.
Garda Commissioner Fachtna Murphy today briefed the Ministers for Justice and Transport and the Road Safety Authority on progress in road policing and on the Garda’s Christmas road safety campaign.
Fatalities in traffic collisions dropped from 396 in 2005 to 365 in 2006 and to 338 last year – reductions of 8 per cent and 7 per cent respectively.
Some 269 people died on the roads to December 9th this year, compared to 314 to the same date in 2007.
Mr Murphy said the Garda campaign to target drinking and driving over the holiday period had already started.
"An Garda Síochána continues to focus significant resources on roads policing and road safety. “We have a dedicated corps of people using the most up to date technology and equipment right across the country on a daily basis.
“Through our enforcement activity, we are working to change driver behaviour. We don't want to be out there catching people speeding and drink driving. Our objective is to stop them and to save lives on our roads,” he said.
Mr Murphy said enforcing drink driving laws was a priority for the gardaí throughout the year, along with enforcing the law on speeding and not wearing seat belts –behaviours he said were most responsible for deaths and serious injuries.
Road Safety Authority chief executive Noel Brett, said: “The Road Safety Authority is very conscious that progress in this area cannot be taken for granted and must be consistently worked on.”
He said there was often a tragic increase in deaths and serious injuries on the roads at Christmas and in the new year period.
“This year the RSA is joining forces with the Commission for Taxi Regulation and MEAS, an initiative by the drinks industry to promote the mature enjoyment of alcohol, to carry out the biggest ever anti-drink driving awareness campaign.”
Minister for Justice Dermot Ahern said there were now 1,011 gardai in the Traffic Corps, an increase of 77 per cent since 2005.
He said eight new mobile speed detection systems recently acquired were now operational.
In addition, the Garda was at “an advanced stage” in completing the procurement of in-car automated number plate recognition (ANPR) systems which would enable greater detection of stolen and untaxed vehicles as well as enhance traffic law enforcement.
Minister for Transport Noel Dempsey said a wide range of Departments and agencies were working to implement the 126 actions set out in the Government’s Road Safety Strategy 2007 – 2012 and he welcome the road safety trends.
According to the European Transport Safety Council, in 2007 Ireland was ninth best out of 25 EU countries, measured by road deaths per million population.
Ireland was the second most improved country between 2006 and 2007.
Dublin scored the best year-on-year reduction in the number of victims per 100,000 residents in the decade 1997 - 2007.
Labour's transport spokesman Tommy Broughan called on the Minister for Transport to clarify when he intends to commence the rollout of speed cameras nationwide.
Mr Broughan said that while reports today indicated that the contract for the provision of some 6,000 hours of speed camera monitoring per month would be signed in the next few days, he was concerned that there was no specific date given for the start of the rollout.
"The Minister has already missed his own deadline in the 2007-2012 Road Safety Strategy for the speed camera rollout and the process has been stalled since last year when the government announced it had a 'preferred bidder' for the €25 million per annum contract," he said.
"Mr Dempsey must now provide a full report to Dáil Éireann on the current status of the national speed camera rollout and indicate the specific start date for this important and long promised road safety
programme."