OPINION: Crashing at 60 mph is like your car falling 11 storeys

THIS year will see the conclusion of the Government's Road to Safety Strategy 1998-2002. All of the targets set will not be achieved, but lives have been saved and serious injuries prevented.

Since the launch of the strategy, road fatalities have been reduced by 13 per cent. The number of serious injuries has also reduced.

In 2001, the number seriously injured was over 40 per cent lower than the position prior to the launch of the strategy.

However, there is still an unacceptable level of people being killed and injured on our roads annually.

In 2001, 411 people died in road crashes and a further 12,000 were injured - 1,600 seriously.

The main causes of these deaths and injuries is still speeding, drink driving and non-wearing of seat-belts.

As a society we need to re-focus and re-double our efforts to reduce the carnage.

Over the lifetime of the next Road Safety Strategy we could aim to reduce the current carnage on our roads by significantly reducing the number of crashes and the related deaths and serious injuries.

Achieving this aim requires the continued effort of An Garda Siochana to enforce road traffic laws, the National Roads Authority and Local Authorities to continue their activities in making the roads safer and the National Safety Council to carry out activities that change people's attitudes and influence behaviour on the roads.

It also requires a commitment from all road users to be more aware of their personal responsibility to avoid road traffic crashes.

Speeding is the cause of a quarter of all fatal crashes each year. Speeding reduces a driver's ability to steer safely around bends or when visibility is poor, extends the distance necessary to stop a vehicle, and increases the distance a vehicle travels while the driver reacts to a dangerous situation.

A 30 mph impact is equivalent to dropping a car from the top of a two-storey building. A 60 mph impact is equivalent to dropping 11 storeys.

The recent introduction of penalty points for speeding offences will, I am sure, contribute to a reduction in speeding by motorists.

You can count on getting four penalty points on your licence record and a fine of up to EUR800 if found guilty in court. Or two penalty points if you pay the EUR80 fixed charge. Points will stay on your licence record for three years.

Clock up 12 penalty points at any time within three years and you'll be disqualified from driving for six months.

Drink driving is a factor in over a third of all fatal crashes in Ireland.

Many drivers believe they are safe to drive if they are below the legal limit. They are wrong. You do not need to be a drunk driver to be a danger on the roads.

The risk of being involved in a crash increases in direct proportion to the amount of alcohol consumed. As alcohol impairs the functions of the brain even one drink will affect your driving ability.

The message is very simple. Never, ever drink and drive.

Without a seat belt three out of four people will be killed or seriously injured in a head on crash. Seat belts are proven lifesavers and must be used on every journey, on short trips and long trips.

Every person in a car is legally obliged to wear a seat belt that is fitted. That includes drivers and front and rear passengers. The driver is responsible for ensuring that passengers under 17 years of age comply with the law.

No matter how experienced you are, or how careful you are when driving, you have no control over other drivers. You could be involved in a crash through no fault of your own. So give yourself a chance and belt up.

One in five killed on our roads is a pedestrian. In winter, fatality rates for pedestrians are double those of summer.

Research conducted by the National Roads Authority shows a strong relationship between pedestrian accidents and the hours of daylight between 4pm and 10pm.

It is estimated that 75 per cent fewer pedestrians are killed in the months of June and July which have the highest levels of daylight compared with January and December which have virtually reduced hours of daylight.

The laws of physics dictate that if a pedestrian unexpectedly steps onto the road it may not be possible for the driver to stop in time. Hit at 30 mph there is a 50 per cent chance of the pedestrian being killed. However it is not just the responsibility of pedestrians to cross the road carefully.

Motorists too must recognise their responsibility to be on the look out for pedestrians who may be at risk.

The National Safety Council will be raising awareness of the dangers posed to pedestrians next week with the launch of two new AXA Insurance sponsored television adverts.

The new adverts represent the fourth in a series of road safety commercials sponsored by AXA Insurance.

The objective of these hard hitting ads is to make pedestrians and motorists more aware of their personal responsibility in helping to reduce the number of vulnerable road users killed and injured on roads.

Copyright 2002 MGN LTD
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