Sir, - In view of the daily reports of horrific road crashes, with the inevitable deaths and injuries, isn't it time for some politician to stand up and cry: "Halt - enough is enough"? The Government continues to appeal to drivers to "be careful" and to "slow down", but clearly that falls on deaf ears.
The root of the problem on our roads is clearly the deplorably low standards of driving, which are the clear responsibility of Government. To draw an analogy: if children in a school are not properly taught certain things, we know what to expect when they leave school. Similarly, this Government will not legislate so that "instructors" are mandated to comply with Government requirements, and I suggest that the standards observed when applicants are being tested could be debated with profit.
Licences to drive are issued far too easily if I am to believe what I hear from certain people. The proof of our shockingly low standards of driving is shown by the fact that we kill twice as many people on our roads as they do in the UK on a per capita basis, and our statistics are almost the worst in the EC. I drive a lot in Europe and am a member of two advanced driving institutes where Class 1 drivers of the British Police Force are the examiners, so I suggest my comments may be worth considering in regard to what I experience every day on our roads. Drivers do not know how to use a roundabout correctly. Drivers fail to use mirrors and indicators often enough. Also, they drive in the right-hand lane and pass - probably at speed - on the left.
They will not stop at a Stop sign unless compelled to do so. They drive far too fast in restricted areas. There have actually been two crashes on a garage forecourt near here. Drivers in many cases cannot judge speed and distance, and drive much too close to the vehicle in front. They creep over demarcation lines. They accelerate on the "yellow" light. Many drivers won't light up until long after the official time. And I could say much more. Isn't it time that driving and road safety were taken out of the hands of The Department of the Environment, which seems to be busy on so many unrelated things, and a new Ministry created so that we would have a Minister for Road Safety, with powers to do what is necessary? This Government has been shown to be so inept that something drastic must be done quickly if lives are to be saved. - Yours, etc.,
Douglas McCowen, Templeville Road, Dublin 6W.