Sir, In 1933 in Britain, road deaths had reached 7,200 plus 144,000 injured. After the introduction in 1934 by Leslie Hore Belisha of a 30 mph limit in built up areas, together with Belisha crossing beacons, deaths and injuries rapidly diminished. (There is a universal ratio for road injury, the number dead x 20).
In 1995 the figure for those dead on British roads stood at 3,621, exactly half the 1933 figure, although there are now 11 times as many vehicles on these roads. Deaths on 26 County roads this year will exceed 400 with more than 6,000 injured and figures still rising.
There is a lesson to be learned here for Mr Howlin how about a 50 mph limit for one year after all, 55-60 is nearly universal in the US - and 25 mph enforced in built up areas? There will be a scream, of course, but watch it we may save over one hundred lives. Road deaths and injuries are by far our most serious problem. Le deagh mheinn, Marlborough Road, Donnybrook, Dublin 4.
PS For the record, deaths in the North were 144 last year, and falling.