Study sought on link between road deaths and garda numbers

Gardaí have called on the interim Garda Commissioner, Nóirín O’Sullivan to carry out a review of road fatalities to establish whether there is any correlation between the increase in deaths and the depletion in traffic corps personnel.

Delegates at the Association of Garda Sergeants and Inspectors annual conference voted unanimously to support a review of statistics on road fatalities to establish if there is any correlation between the two sets of statistics and to address any shortcomings if a relationship is proven.

Mayo delegate, Gerard Flannery told the conference that as a result of retirements and transfers coupled with a small number of promotions and the embargo on recruitment, Traffic Corps numbers have fallen dramatically throughout the country.

Mr Flannery cited comments by RSA Chairman, Gay Byrne in The Irish Times last December when he highlighted a reduction in Traffic Corps numbers nationally from 1,200 to 800 and argued that “a lack of garda enforcement and resources were part of the reason that road deaths were up.”

The picture nationally was mirrored in Mayo where the Traffic Corps went from one sergeant and eight gardaí in one centre to a peak of five sergeants and 22 gardaí in two centres but in recent years had dwindled to two sergeants and nine gardaí located at one centre.

“Mayo is one of the largest divisions geographically in the country and these members are assigned to two units, leaving three units without any Traffic Corps resources,” Mr Flannery told the conference in Killarney.

Mr Flannery explained that the motion arose from the fact that the number of fatal accidents recorded for 213 at 193 was the first time that there had been an increase in the statistics since 2005.

“From an annual figure regularly in excess of 400 a decade ago, to a record low of 162 in 2012, last year yielded 193 road fatalities,” said Mr Flannery, adding the years of sustained in reduction in fatalities coincided with an increase in the number of enforcement personnel.

“In this context, we call on the Commissioner for an in-depth study of contributory factors to this worrying situation,” said Mr Flannery, adding that in the event of a correlation being established then the Commissioner should seek to increase garda numbers in traffic enforcement.