Carnage on our Roads

[Doogie Browser]

As expected around a bank holiday weekend there were a number of fatal accidents on our roads.
I am all too aware that plenty on here will have experienced this first hand and don't want to upset anyone and am sensitive to that, however it just seems to be getting worse (maybe the figures show a reduction?).

In Donegal on Sat night two young boys - one not out of his teens - perished in a single car accident and lay for hours undiscovered, god bless them.  Then yesterday two young people lost their lives in the North West.

The usual factors seem to always be blamed for most accidents - youth, speed, alcohol/drugs.

The Sunday Indpendent used to have a column each week titled 'It happens every day' listing the fatalities the previous week which always made for heartbreaking reading.

It seems United strategies North and South are getting us nowhere either.

What can be done to limit such tragedies then? 
Reduction of speed limits? - not sure if that will stop people speeding to be honest.
More punitive action for offenders who speed? - Public reaction would be against that too maybe.
Zero tolerance for alcohol in breath tests? - Morning after drinkers would suffer greatly.
Adapting cars?  The car industry are unlikely to be receptive to this.
Keep restricted limit for 3-5 years or raise the limit that you can drive? 

Just would be keen to get peoples views on a very serious matter that will not go away unfortunately.

[Bord na Mona man]

As expected around a bank holiday weekend there were a number of fatal accidents on our roads.
I am all too aware that plenty on here will have experienced this first hand and don't want to upset anyone and am sensitive to that, however it just seems to be getting worse (maybe the figures show a reduction?).

Over the last few years, the fatalities have been lowering each.
Better car designs, better roads, penalty points and less drink driving.
However the deaths and injuries are still far too high.

[Tony Baloney]

A peeler on the radio yesterday was talking about this and said there is no such thing as a traffic "accident". He said all (almost all?) these deaths were avoidable as they were due to drink, drugs, careless driving or excessive speed appropriate to the driving conditions.

[Bogball XV]

Agree Bord na mona, fatalaties in the south have been lowering dramatically year on year, this despite the rise in miles driven and cars on the road - it's not often we can praise this govt, but they've done well on this front (i don't know how the current year's figures are comparing to last year btw).

Regarding speeding, I think the focus should be on placing appropriate limits for the each roads, this should include increasing speed limits on motorways.

[Doogie Browser]

Its good to know figures are falling, but they are still at too high a level and of course even one is too many but we have to be realistic

Regarding speeding, I think the focus should be on placing appropriate limits for the each roads, this should include increasing speed limits on motorways.

Totally disagree with that though, current limits are fast enough in my opinion, older cars in particular would be more prone to accidents at higher speeds then.

[FL/MAYO]

I have seen a lot of accidents over the due to my work, the one thing that I can honestly say that makes a difference in weather someone might survive or not is the wearing of a seat belt.

[J70]

Well a start would be to get the young idiots off the roads at night. Restrict them to daylight hours and whatever is necessary to get them to and from work and enforce it strictly. When they've driven safely for a few years, then ease the restrictions. Harsher penalties all around would do no harm either, particularly suspensions - when people find the consequences inconveniencing their jobs and lives, they might grow a bit of cop-on when it comes to some of the shite they get up to on the roads.

[Tankie]

to be honest I dont even read about road deaths anymore and have lost interest in discussing it. I drove to Limerick for the Munster game and then to Offaly for the Easter weekend and what I saw was just shocking.

One clown in a hiace van over took 3 cars at one time on a national road and we were doing 100km/h (the speed limit), I reckon the guy was on the wrong side of the road for 10 - 11sec with nowhere to move into if another can came up on him. this was only one example of many on these two trips but i fail to see how I could feel sorry for this guy if he was to crash and if someone else was involved I would be straight over to them first no matter what state the clown who was driving was in.

[Bogball XV]

What I don't really get is that on straight enough, wide roads in Belfast, drivers are restricted to 30 mph (which is dead on) but on shitty wee twisty country roads, you can do up to double that?

The amount of fatal accidents on the country roads is unreal, for the amount of traffic they get.

i said appropriate limits for each type of road, imo motorway speed limits are too low, they're widely ignored and have been in place since the first motorways back in the 50's - now, have cars developed a little in terms of safety and handling since then?
If laws are widely ignored they're bad laws, they encourage people to disrespect limits everywhere, allied to bad driving (for example people driving at the limit in the overtaking lane) they frustrate other drivers and lead to reckless risk taking.
Also as you point out the majority of road deaths are on shitty wee roads, with motorway accidents disproportionately low per miles driven on them (now obviously we don't want that rising either), it's just my personal opinion that motorway speed limits are in place to allow police to relatively easily catch and fine speeders (once private companies take over this function we'll all be fcuked - well, those reckless being like myself who don't obey motorway speed limits will be anyway).

[TirEoghaingodeo]

Obviously all the blame can't be laid at the feet of younger drivers, but perhaps increasing the age at which it's legal to drive might help. 18?
Another option might be making it mandatroy to have a certain amount of driving instruction before you can take the test, including night lessons and driving in different conditions.
Tough one, although unfortunately there'll be moments of carelessness from all drivers, i know i've had mine, but thank God i've been lucky so far.

[thebigfella]

It's amazing how it's the young ones who get all the blame.

There are people of all ages who could do with advanced training, especially over the last few years with the improvements the roads and infrastructure. It's amazing how many older people have never driven on motor ways, dual carriage ways, understand roundabouts. These sort of people who were used to tipping down to the local/shop on country roads now have to deal with all the stuff which didn't exist when they got their license. There are loads of accidents because people don't understand the current highway code. IMHO all drivers should be checked certain points, especially after a certain age.

[mountainboii]

AsTirEoghaingodeo alludes to, the testing process here is a bit of a joke. I passed my test about 4 years ago having never driven on a motorway, never driven in a city, never driven in icey/ slippery conditions, never driven in fog, and with very minimal experience of driving in the dark. I also don't understand the logic that up until one year after you pass your test you're deemed fit to drive at a maximum of only 45mph, but on the 366th day of your driving life you are suddenly deemed capable of mastering a vehicle traveling at 70mph - a speed you were previously prohibited from going anywhere near. As things stand I believe most people really only learn to drive properly in the year or two after they pass their test.

[Stalin]

Raise the minimum age up from 17.

Make the test itself much more stringent.

Periodic re-examinations after a certain age, theres a lot of old drivers whose inability to drive isnt discovered until its too late.

Blanket ban on all women drivers.

[Tyrones own]

We have to do the written test every time the license expires though having said that the actual driving test here is a complete joke,
I'd say very few of the people driving here would be let out of the test centre car park at home never mind out on an open road.
As stated above, raise the age to 18 then only be let drive during day light hours with heavy fines and suspensions if caught at a reckless speed limit til
the age of 21...that would cut the statistics in half or better IMHO.
Oh and lets not forget the type of cars these young lads are driving nowadays, saw a load of M3'S, M5's, Impreza's etc when I was at home there...couldn't believe it.
Then again, am I right in saying that the influx of foreigners have been responsible for a fair amount of fatalities on the roads,
driving on the wrong side of the road, drinking and driving, speeding and blindly attempting to over take in their left hand drive cars to name a few

[J70]

It's amazing how it's the young ones who get all the blame.

There are people of all ages who could do with advanced training, especially over the last few years with the improvements the roads and infrastructure. It's amazing how many older people have never driven on motor ways, dual carriage ways, understand roundabouts. These sort of people who were used to tipping down to the local/shop on country roads now have to deal with all the stuff which didn't exist when they got their license. There are loads of accidents because people don't understand the current highway code. IMHO all drivers should be checked certain points, especially after a certain age.

Yes, crack down on everyone, but the statistics don't lie. Young males are far more likely to be idiots at the wheel and that is reflected in their accident and death rates. There should be far greater restrictions on young people driving.

The most annoying thing is that this hand wringing starts every single time there's a bad bank holiday death toll, yet nothing ever changes.