We’ve just had another bloody weekend … so we ask the same questions we asked last time … “what can we do to cut down on the number of deaths on our roads?” “how can we get people to slow down?”. Give it a week and it’s all forgotten, till the next bloody weekend when we ask the same questions again.
I’ll tell you what can be done. Enforce the fucking rules!! That might not be a bad place to start. Start checking for speed on … wait for it … roads where accidents actually happen, not on roads where it’s just easy to make some dosh. Or how about doing random breath tests in every town every weekend night … never thought of that one? This wrecks my head sometimes, I have to be honest.
Rather than rant on, which I’d love to do, here’s a few constructive thoughts on what I think could/should be done.
Speed & Breath Checks
• Speed checks!!! (I drove for over 3 hours today and didn’t see a single speed check, saw plenty of speeding cars though)
- Permanent speed checks on all main roads, all dangerous roads or roads where accidents have occurred
• Random breath testing every night (esp weekend) in every town in Ireland
Citizens Action
• Encourage members of the public to spill the beans on people who drink and drive, drive recklessly or drive illegally
• Encourage members of the public to continually blast their horns at people driving recklessly, breaking speed limits or over taking at dangerous speeds
• Encourage parents to educate their kids about driving dangers or to make their kids get proper driving lessons
• Encourage people to leave the car at home when they go out, to always nominate a designated driver or to find alternative modes of transport
Our Roads
• Review of speed limits especially on narrow or winding roads
• More improvements to our roads to improve space & visibility for example.
• Better road signs/markings for dangerous stretches of roads.
Offenders
• Stricter sentencing for offenders (heavier driving bans)
• Offenders required to undergo re-training & re-testing after their driving bans
• Previous offenders car type restricted based on weight to power ratio
• Community service schemes for offenders … let them see first hand what alcohol can do to a person, or the sort of physiotherapy some crash victims may have to go through
New Drivers
• Graduated points system … new drivers should have half points for a certain period of time
• Either do away with or totally overhaul our provisional licence system. A learner licence should be for learning only. Failing your test should put you off the road until you can pass it
• Mandatory driving course from qualified instructors, not learning from your da down the back roads (like I did, before I got proper lessons)
• No car insurance unless you can provide proof of having undergone a minimum number of driving lessons and perhaps some sort of certificate of competency from the driving school (prior to doing the test)
• Education on road safety in schools. If it requires it, show kids what happens to the human body when someone is killed at speed. Show them driving may be fun but driving recklessly can kill.
Cars
• Car type for new drivers restricted based on power-to-weight ratio and all horsepower modifications banned.
• Beepers to be fitted on all cars (ever hear those annoying beppers on some cars … where you go over the limit and the beepers emit this really annoying beep until you slow down?)
• Speed limiters on cars
They’re just some suggestions, nothing new really. Of course all of these things are well and good but what’s really needed is a change in attitude from Irish drivers. Not only do we need to slow down and drive more carefully but we should no longer tolerate other drivers who put us and our families at risk.
Update: Cllr Damien Blake (a FF’er, but no-ones perfect) is running a “Stop The Carnage” campaign on his blog. A lot of other bloggers have gotten on board too.
The situation of roads in Ireland is often terrible. When I’ve been there lately I could not understand how some narrow roads could have a 100 kmh limit. That was completely unsafe. Some people told me that most of fault was Eastern Europe drivers’, because they drive old and unsafe cars, they’re drunk while driving and use the wrong side of the road.
While I was in ireland in May I heard of two schoolbus accidents. This is another thing I could not understand. Those schoolbuses were old and rusty. There were not safety equipments on board. How can a bus leave a stop while its door are still open? That’s why some poor kid can get killed. Schoolbus drivers were crazy, I saw buses speeding beyond imagination on the narrow and winding Burren roads!
Anyway, the same measures you hope for should be applied over here too…
Hi Antonio!!
Yeah, your dead right there! I’ve been doing some driving recently, taking in the sights in the North West and am continually surprised by how fast some people are going on roads where they really shouldn’t be going over 60. It’s nuts.
Dead right about the buses too! Thankfully that’s changing now (I think).
Are they strict on driving offences in italy? How much is your speeding fine for example?
I think there is plenty of will among the general public for something to be done, but to my mind the Gardai are at fault* for not doing their job properly. I often see cars with L-plates on motorways, yet learners aren’t supposed to drive on motorways, and should be escorted off if caught. (If it’s not a learner driving the car, then whoever is should take the fucking plates off, before anyone points this out.)
My real bugbear, as I described in my post that you linked to, is the cops going for the soft speed targets rather than the ones that do all the damage.
The Gardai can go on all they like about increasing numbers of speeding fines issued, but it means shag-all if the number of road deaths is going up too.
*I should qualify this by stating that it is of course the speed-merchants/drink-drivers, etc. who are primarily at fault for road deaths.
Maca,
controls on the roads are one of the biggest problems we have. Not enough men on patrol, they say; too indulgent, I say.
Unfortunately there are not enough policemen on the main roads, you can drive on a highway for 5 hours and not see a single police car. Drivers know that and take advantage of this lack, and they speed.
General speed limits are 50 kmh in towns and cities, 90 kmh on outer roads and 130 kmh on highways. Different speed limits can be specified from place to place.
We have 20 points on every driving licence. As you committ an offence a certain number of points are taken off from your licence. When you are left with 0 points your licence is withdrawn and you have to pass the driving test again. On the other hand, every two years without an offence you get 2 extra points. The maximum number of points you can have on your licence is 30.
In addition to the points they deduct for an offence, there’s a fine, of course.
Here are some example:
-Speeding: if you exceed the speed limit by 10 to 40 kmh, the fine is from 143 to 573 euros (at the discretion of the policeman) and 2 points off. If you exceed the speed limit by over 40 kmh the fine is from 357 to 1,433 euros and 10 points off
-Driving while using the mobile phone is an offence and the fine is 68 to 275 euros and 5 points off
-Irregular carrying of animals on board (ie cats without cat carrier): fino from 68 to 275 euros and 1 point off
-U-turn on highways: fine form 1,626 to 6,506 euros and 10 points off
-Drunk driving: the fine is from 357 to 1433 euros, 10 points off and up to one month in jail
-Parking offence: the fine is from 35 to 143 euros, no points penalty
All the points penalties are doubled if the driver has been having the licence for less than three years.
And tens of other situations.
I have 22 points on my licence, because I have the original 20 points and the 2 extra points the gave me after two years without offence. This system is effective since 2003, so next year I could have 2 extra points more if I don’t commit any offence until next June.
I know you have points on your licences as well… How does it work?
Gerry, totally agreed on that.
Antonio, thanks for the comprehensive answer! It sounds like a good strict system you have there, but it sounds like enforcement is the problem, not enough cops on the streets checking speed etc. Big problem here too.
To be honest i’m not familiar with our system because it was introduced when I was in Finland. So I had to Google it…
Here’s a table showing the offenses and points/fines – Irish Penalty Points System
Help me understand…
There’s a penalty on payment and one on conviction, is that right? How does it work?
And those figures in the last two columns are the fines in euros, aren’t they? The first one if you pay within 28 days, the second one if you pay later. Is that right?
Then, a second question:
Driving on the hard shoulder of a Motorway…
It seems to be an offence… But I remember that many cars used to drive on the hard shoulder when they were slower than the other cars. I myself did that in some occasions… Can you clear it up for me?
Thanks!
P.S.: Sorry for the many typos in my former comment
I think the way it works is that you get a points penalty & fine for breaking an offence, if you don’t pay and end up going to court and are convicted of the offence then you get an extra points penalty.
Regarding the fine, you have 28 days to pay the fine or else you have to pay a higher fine, if you don’t pay that then you go to court.
Here’s an example from the government website:
“Speeding offences: an on-the-spot fine of 80 euro, together with 2 penalty points. … … You have 28 days in which to pay your fine from the date the notice issues to you to pay your fine. If you do not pay your fine, the fine then increases to 120 euro which you pay within 28 days. If after this time (56 days) you still have not paid your fine, you will have to go to your District court. If you are convicted in Court of speeding offences and non-payment of fines, you will automatically receive 4 penalty points and a fine to a maximum of 800 euro.”
Driving on hard shoulder IS an offence as far as I know but some people still do it. I do it only to let cars by the odd time.