Reports of road accidents, over 200 deaths so far this year at the time of writing, show no sign of letting up. Brian Thornton takes another angle of a well-known story to suggest some remedies.
The government, usually through the Department of Environment and Local Government, issues regular statements to say just how many speeding tickets are issued, coupled with a proclamation about how speed kills. I have been critical in the past as to how this will be achieved, and consider a drop of 20%, or some 80 to 90 deaths over five years to be derisory.
Instead I suggest that instead of deriving revenue for the State by entrapping drivers on roads designed for their exclusive use, stepping up Garda breath checks would go a long way to reduce the tally during one year, never mind five!
Yet, the intoxicator is not yet available for the use by An Garda Siochána in Garda stations in places like Galway city and Tuam, not to mention other locations countrywide. Even then it is kept in the station for use by persons intercepted elsewhere and ‘breathalysed’, but who must then be brought to a station for other checks, like blood or urine samples for later analysis, so allowing other potential over-the-limit drivers to pass undetected.
‘You are wrong!’ I hear you say.
No! Consider this: Monday morning’s radio news bulletins and newspapers report on the weekend’s death toll. On the last weekend as I write two motorcyclists were killed in separate accidents with no other vehicles involved as each hit a pole or tree with instant and unfortunate results.
I accept that ‘speeding’ (whatever that may mean!) causes accidents. I have seen the evidence with black tyre marks on roads leading into roundabouts and the flattened ‘street furniture’ that was in their way as they apparently tried to in some way leap-frog the roundabout rather than do the decent thing and go around it!
All too often, it seems to me, the time of the accident, usually between 9.00pm and perhaps 3.00am could suggest an element of drink or increasingly, drugs involved. No amount of tickets for exceeding 60 mph on a straight road will stop that sort of carnage.
Many such accidents happen on minor or National secondary (N 51+) and tertiary road (R100+). More importantly, these are usually subject to the same 60-mph speed limit, but travelling many at 30mph could be quite lethal. But, there is no money for the State from putting Garda ammunition of Gatso, laser or good old radar units because of the infrequency of vehicles and that many cars would be below the national 60 mph, but I suggest, even one-half of that could be too fast!
Don’t get me wrong: I offer my condolences to the families of the bereaved, and also to the families of those severely injured.
Having spent six months, last year in the care of the Western Health Board, due to illness rather than accident, gave me time to reflect. What seems to attract little attention, sadly, is the enormous numbers of persons who are injured as a consequence of these accidents. In 1998, 12,773 persons were injured as a result of 7,831 reported injury accidents. This was a drop of 3% on the 1997 figures of 13,115 injuries from 8,072 injury accidents.
I do not imply callousness on the situation when I say that deaths are quickly finalised, and from an insurance point of view, a resulting claim usually costs less to settle than cases involving severe injuries. In Ireland hospitals charge patients for procedures, accommodation etc. when in the care of the Health Board. In Britain, these are mainly covered by the State, which means everyone pays but there is a definite saving on insurers’ outlay. Any ‘subsidy’ in Ireland is about to be quashed, so the full cost will fall to be borne by motor insurers – but this will increase premium levels, of which more anon.
In Ireland, the State retains fines imposed cases brought before the Courts for no motor insurance. Why should these not be passed to insurers, who currently add between IR£57 to IR£65 per policy to cover claims made against uninsured motorists and handled by the MIB – Motor Insurers Bureau?
When some 13,000 persons occupy precious beds in hospitals, it means that those waiting for elective surgery must wait as others with injuries slip in ahead of them in the queue to hospital wards, and often will stay for many weeks or months. I saw this operate first hand when I spent several months in Western Health Board hospitals for treatment.
I was grateful for the care and attention accorded by doctors, nurses and attendants during this period. However, how many suffering only from illness were denied treatment while ambulances brought in more and more injury cases daily.
I am puzzled that little emphasis is put on these 13,000 or so cases annually – over one thousand per month, after all! Persons who will occupy those beds that are expensive to operate, and take doctors', nurses' and community nurses' time – time which could be spent on other members of society who had no choice in the matter of having in-patient treatment. However, hardly a murmur came from the Minister for the Environment and Local Government, or his Minister of State.
In close on 40 years of driving, I have yet to be presented with an alcoliser, bag or whatever while driving. In New Zealand last year I had to blow gently into an alcoliser – no greater a blow that would be the case if one spoke into a telephone! This happened at 4.30pm, was near a ‘blues festival’ where micro-breweries provide liberal quantities of beer. The police operation involved persons from over 100 miles away, on the North Island and brought specially to South Island to avoid ‘old pals’ being placed in invidious positions.
The difference is that road safety is taken seriously in New Zealand. There is little point in a Garda telling a court that the accused was over 80 milligrammes per 100 millilitres in cases where there has been an accident. By then, people have been injured or worse.
Is it not the case that we should not allow persons with drink to drive? Is it not the case that more persons are killed or injured through drink driving (and drugs now also!), than have accidents on motorways and dual carriageways? The total estimated cost by the NRA – National Roads Authority – of reported road accidents in 1998 was IR£684 millions, based on costings of IR£908,150 per fatality, IR£112,700 for a serious injury, IR£10,800 for a minor injury accidents and IR£1,176 in respect of material damage (other vehicles, street furniture, walls etc. demolished.
Persons injured incur expenditure for care, often for very many months, and whether killed or injured incur a loss to the community in cessation of production and experience to teach others. One in four drivers has only a provisional licence, and many others may have no current licence as they failed or never sat the test.
Where are our priorities? Why almost one-half of all motorists do not wear a seat belt is beyond me! I am a two-times seatbelt survivor, and I cannot understand the attitude of those who are too lazy, and others who seem to need Garda enforcement for their personal safety. It is not a situation that I can understand...
For my part, I thank God to have recovered so that I can once again bring readers something to ponder over. But again this year we are bombarded with figures of the numbers killed, but seldom the figures for seriously injured, with attended trauma on their families, loss of production in their jobs, and of course, the spaces occupied and unavailable for those with illness, often serious, but who cannot be accommodated for treatment.
Observations may be submitted to me at Irish Car, or by email to brian_thornton@ireland.com
July 2001