It is almost certain that the next edition of this newspaper will carry a report of several fatal road accidents, for this form of violent death has become a seemingly inevitable ingredient of holiday weekends. It is to be hoped that the timely action of the Garda Siochana in stepping up its road safety programme this week will succeed at least in curbing such tragedies; a holiday weekend free of road fatalities is probably too much to hope for.
The latest Garda effort entails setting up more than 4,000 checkpoints to monitor driving behaviour - particularly the wearing of seat-belts. According to Chief Supt Al McHugh of the Garda Traffic Policy Unit, many drivers and passengers still travel unbelted, even though seat-belts have been shown to reduce the chances of death or serious injury in accidents by 50 per cent. Gardai will also check the roadworthiness of vehicles, with tyres, lights and brakes being examined.
Everyone will wish the Garda well in its aim of reducing road deaths, and it is to be hoped that this goodwill is reflected in careful driving. It is, however, regrettable that the force's initiatives in this area have not enjoyed the urgent and energetic support they require at Government level. As our Security Correspondent, Jim Cusack, reported earlier this week, the Government has not yet fulfilled a year-old promise to provide the Garda with a new computer system "as a matter of urgency". The equipment is needed to handle the massive increase in on-the-spot fines resulting from the Garda's ongoing campaign to reduce speeding and to allow the introduction of a "penalty points" system for traffic violations - a central element in the Government's national road safety strategy.
At the launch of the strategy, The Road to Safety, exactly a year ago today, the Taoiseach described the rate of road deaths as an unacceptable social problem that had to be tackled "immediately and systematically". Yet an outline of the proposed penalty points system emerged only yesterday in a statement from the Minister of State at the Department of the Environment, Mr Molloy, which said the necessary Bill would come before the Dail in the autumn. Not for the first time, a high-profile public relations flourish has not been followed by swift, resolute action.
It is regrettable, too, that the Government has so far failed to back up its safety strategy, which is based on greater enforcement of laws relating to speeding, alcohol and seat-belt wearing in particular, with a clear programme to remedy the widespread ignorance of the rules and protocol of the road. One has only to observe the chaotic behaviour at roundabouts, or the prevalence of inside-lane overtaking, for example, to realise the need for an effective and sustained programme of driver education.
All that said, the prime responsibility for avoiding accidents remains with the person behind the wheel. Motorists should remember this weekend - as always - to wear their seat-belts, avoid alcohol, observe speed limits, and show consideration for other road-users. It is a matter of life and death.