Sir, - Two letters writers on the above subject (September 15th), both abhorring the worsening carnage on our roads, inadvertently displayed the garbled reasoning which lies at the core of the problem. The first correspondent berated the Garda for not enforcing the law to a sufficient degree; the second blamed the roads. The former case is, of course the, classic "it's always someone else's fault." The latter is a variation of that: "blame the weather, roads, poor light/visibility etc."
The fact is that each of us must take responsibility for our own actions and make due allowances in all driving conditions. It shouldn't take the constant presence of the Garda to keep us in check. If we are unable or unwilling to do this then we are fundamentally unsuited to drive any vehicle on the road.
It is interesting to note that many recent "accidents" have occurred on clear, wide, well-laid sections of road in good visibility and weather conditions. In the past, poor road conditions were often blamed. Now, it is speed and the increasingly common "up yours" attitude which pervades on the roads today which is the root cause of the majority of crashes.
It is apparent to any on onlooker that many drivers are unwilling to regulate themselves in regard to speed so the obvious answer is to fit speed governors to car engines. No doubt there will be many voices in protest at such a suggestion.
But what possible justification is there for insisting that the average driver has access to a vehicle which can readily break the speed limit and the law and put the lives of the rest of us at risk? I for one am fed up with these reckless cowboys taking risks with my life.
Why do we continue to allow the importation of cars that can far exceed the legal speed limit? Come to think of it, why do the various car-producing countries, all with laws and speed limits similar to our own, continue to produce such vehicles in the first place? Is it perhaps that the motor industry feels the need to pander to the rather puerile instincts of many of its potential customers in order to boost sales? Are the profits made from car sales more important than human life, particularly the lives of innocent third parties? - Yours, etc., Colm O'Brien,
Riversdale Park, Dublin, 20.