High levels of road deaths and serious injuries among cyclists and pedestrians are not “an unavoidable toll of modern life” but “the predictable result of policy choices”, TD and Senators have been told.
Members of cycling and age advocacy groups told the Oireachtas Committee on Transport that the State’s road safety strategy lacked adequate leadership and policy to tackle deaths and serious injuries which they said were “predictable and preventable”.
Former Fine Gael TD Ciaran Cannon – president of Cycling Ireland – called for the appointment of a new “fully independent road safety commissioner, with legislative authority and resources”. He said responsibility for road safety was currently “fragmented across Government, local authorities, An Garda Síochána and State agencies”. He said “nothing prevents full implementation right now, except political will”.
Cannon instanced a further three measures which he said were necessary. These included implementing the default 30km/h urban speed limit without delay; enforcement, because “occasional holiday crackdowns do not change behaviour”; and a rapid scaling up of safety infrastructure such as safety cameras.
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“For many years now, people walking and cycling have accounted for around 40 per cent of all road deaths and serious injuries in Ireland. Those who pose the least danger on our roads are paying the highest price. This is not an unavoidable toll of modern life. It is the predictable result of policy choices,” he said.
Catherine McGuigan, chief officer of local government initiative Age Friendly Ireland, told the committee e-scooters pose a particular risk to older pedestrians due to their speed, lack of sound and inappropriate use on footpaths. McGuigan said traffic light timings at pedestrian crossings do not always allow sufficient time for older persons to safely cross the road.
Jason Cullen, chairman of the Dublin Commuter Coalition, said there were “shortcomings” on the part of the Road Safety Authority. He said it was “an agency that generates its funding from increasing the amount of cars on our roads [and] as such has a conflict in undertaking their road safety campaigns”.
Neasa Bheilbigh, chairwoman of the Irish Cycling Campaign, said “road danger reduction requires clear national leadership and co-ordination across transport, justice, health and local government. Whatever form this leadership takes, it should be consistent, evidence-based and empowered to prioritise safety.”
Committee chairman, Fine Gael TD Michael Murphy, said he believed the committee members would be very supportive of a road safety commissioner. He said it was clear that while education was undoubtedly important, “enforcement more than anything else shapes driver behaviour”.
