Mangled wrecks of cars are to be placed alongside the main Dublin to Belfast
road in a bid to reduce the number of fatal road accidents, gardaí said today.
The move by traffic gardaí in Co Louth and Co Meath, where road fatalities rose last year, was welcomed by the AA as a "creative initiative" promoting safer driving.
There were 415 deaths on Ireland's roads last year, up slightly from 1999.
The crashed cars, which will not have been involved in fatal accidents, will be in place within weeks, a garda spokesman said.
He added: "There will be old wrecks of cars placed on the roadside by the N1, the main Dublin to Belfast road. This will be accompanied by a garda checkpoint where we may be handing out leaflets. We will be publicising in advance the date when the wrecks will be put in place."
The number of road deaths in the Louth/Meath traffic police division rose by 10 to 57 in 2000, while many other regions saw a reduction in the number of fatalities.
The two counties accounted for 14% of Ireland's road deaths last year.
Road fatalities per capita are higher in the Republic than in Northern Ireland and double the UK figures.
AA spokesman Mr Conor Faughnan said: "It is certainly a creative initiative, rather graphic and, I imagine, quite distressing to anyone who has been involved in a road accident or has lost a relative.
"But it is worthwhile helping people to think safety - it might do some good and we will support it."
Mr Faughnan rejected the idea the tactic might instead distract drivers.
PA