Road safety strategy covers old ground

Key aspects of the Government's Road Safety Strategy 2004-2006, which has been published, were originally promised in 1998.

The safety strategy aims to reduce the annual number of deaths on the Republic's roads to 300 by the end of 2006. It relies on greater enforcement of existing legislation, with greatly increased Garda targets for the detection of speeding and drunk driving.

Included in the plan is provision for:

• Random preliminary breath testing.

• An increase in disqualification periods.

• A revised speed limit structure to be expressed in metric.

• A network of speed cameras to be operated by a private company .

• The full system of penalty points to be rolled out.

Commitments have also been given by the Garda to the carrying out of specific levels of enforcement across the three key areas of set-belt wearing, speed limits and drink driving.

However, much of this strategy was initially promised at the launch of the previous road safety strategy, The Road to Safety, in 1998.

That strategy set out a timetable for enforcement, education, and legislative organisational measures.

Included was the deployment of additional mobile speed detection units, or Gatzo vans, by 1998 - it is understood that the gardaí now have two.

It also planned the introduction of random breath testing by 1999 and the deployment of fixed speed cameras State-wide by 2000.

The upgrading of the Garda information technology systems was originally planned to be completed by 2000. It is now expected next year. A significant reduction in the times for the driving tests promised by 1999 has not yet been delivered.

However, according to the Minister for Transport, Mr Brennan, much of the new strategy was already at various stages of implementation or planning, including legislation for full random testing, the private operation of speed cameras, revision of speed limits and a legal basis for the control of mobile phones, among other changes.

The Minister also plans to establish a Driver Testing and Standards Authority and "outsource" the collection of fixed charge fines.

The Minister said plans for the computerisation of the penalty points system were underway.

While the number of road fatalities fell dramatically following the introduction of penalty points in 2002, road deaths have been rising again this year.

Pointing out that 2004 was the second best year on record, the Minister said the setbacks of recent months were nevertheless "a cause of concern".