Madam, - When a motor vehicle crashes, this is rightly described as an accident. Our common sense tells us that drivers do not purposely hammer their vehicle into oncoming traffic. Many things may contribute to an accident, such as fatigue (it's not against the law to drive when you are tired), bad visibility (it's not against the law to drive in bad weather), uneven or pot-holed surfaces (both perfectly legal), or just a simple lack of concentration (stupid, but not against the law).
The simple fact is that accidents happen. And more are happening every year because there are more cars on the road. In addition, people are forced to spend more time in their cars than ever before, either because they live further from their work or because of heavy traffic.
While it is valid to attempt to prevent as many accidents as possible, I question the motives behind revenue-generating speed cameras. Current estimates suggest that the camera operators stand to make €70 million in revenue in their first year alone. It seems, as usual, that somebody is going to make a lot of our money at the stroke of a Ministerial pen. Had the same Minister the true courage of his convictions, then the easy addition of speed limiters on every motor vehicle in the country could actually prevent speeding for good - though some accidents would continue. - Yours, etc,
JOHN MALLON, Shamrock Grove, Mayfield, Cork.