'Radical action' needed to reduce deaths on roads

The National Road Safety Strategy has failed to challenge "the culture of carnage on Irish roads", the Irish Insurance Federation said yesterday.

The federation said "radical action" was now needed and it has called on the Government to increase its funding and commitment to road safety in Wednesday's budget.

The National Strategy which was launched in 1998 aimed at reducing road fatalities by 20 percent, over 1997 levels, by 2002. Key aspects of the strategy such as the State-wide deployment of speed cameras and random breath testing have yet to be implemented, and are unlikely to be put in place before the end of the Strategy next December.

According to Mr Michael Kemp the Insurance Industry federation, as a member of the Government's High Level Group, was initially encouraged when the Taoiseach launched the strategy and while there have been "many target successes it has failed in the overall objective to challenge the "culture of carnage".

Mr Kemp said "until a serious political review of the current policy is undertaken, road deaths and accidents will continue at their current high rate."

Mr Kemp called for a range of measures and funding to be included as a "holistic political and financial approach (which) must now be taken".

These included the immediate establishment of a road safety sub-committee of the cabinet which would be chaired by the Taoiseach, Mr Ahern.

The federation called for road safety to become the responsibility of a North/South body to co-ordinate enforcement measures.

It also said the Government should establish a dedicated Garda traffic corps and earmark the two per cent stamp duty on motor insurance for investment in road safety programmes.

Mr Kemp said the two per cent duty on insurance premiums collected more than £22 million (€28 million) for the Government last year, while the insurance industry will contribute £1 million (€1.27 million) in the current year, paying for the striking advertising campaigns on television.