The chairwoman of the Road Safety Authority (RSA), Liz O’Donnell, attributed the notable surge in traffic law infringements to Garda members being mandated to dedicate a minimum of 30 minutes per shift to road policing. The directive from Garda Commissioner Drew Harris for more high visibility road policing, issued a fortnight ago amidst heightened concerns over rising road fatalities, resulted in a surge of people caught using mobile phones while driving of just above 60% within the first dozen days of enforcement.
Despite the directive being met with criticism, such as from the Garda Representative Association (GRA) who dismissed it as a statistics-driven public relations stunt, preliminary indications suggest its effectiveness. Ms O’Donnell noted that breath tests had risen by 42% and vehicle seizures by 25% since the directive had taken effect. Additionally, the issuance of fixed charge notices (FCNs) to mobile phone-using drivers had grown by 61%, while arrests for impaired driving had seen a 22% increase.
This surge in statistics, according to O’Donnell, underscores the impact of observable enforcement. She stressed that people must perceive the likelihood of being apprehended for dangerous behaviour on the road.
While the RSA has recently faced criticism, O’Donnell affirmed that it remains capable of delivering its mandate but that a need for additional funding from the Department of Transport exists. This was due to the inability to afford all necessary actions and significant campaigns given the rise in road fatalities. However, she did not provide detailed information on the leading causes of road deaths this year, such as the influence of speed, unroadworthy vehicles, or inadequate road design.
Speaking on the matter, she stated that it was premature to draw conclusions as all of this year’s crashes were still being investigated. Therefore, assigning fault or determining the cause was both impossible and unjust.
In her remarks, she underscored the persisting role of speed in many deadly accidents and expressed her belief about a nationwide rise in speeding. She also identified the “four lethal behaviours” of driving – speeding, drink driving, not using a seatbelt, and using a mobile phone.
Ms O’Donnell suggested that those found driving at drastically high speeds “should face a driving ban”. She concurred with Mr Harris’s recent remark that “a simple fine is insufficient”.
As per the data till last August, 88,734 breath tests for drink driving were conducted, which is roughly half the detections made before the pandemic in 2018 and 2019. Arrests for drink driving till last August stood at 3,071, a drop of approximately one-quarter compared to the years between 2014 and 2018.
The Roads Policing Unit’s force has seen a reduction of over 100 officers since 2021, with a decrease of 35 reported since the start of last year. The unit had 641 active members at the end of November last year, down from 688 in January 2023 and 692 at the conclusion of 2022. In the end, by February, the count had declined to 627, a mere four more than the lowest recorded number in 2017.
There was no comment available from the GRA on the latest data, which was sourced from the Garda and made public by the RSA.
In response to questions regarding the latest statistics, the Garda confirmed that Mr Harris discussed road safety and enhanced enforcement at a Policing Authority public meeting in Limerick the previous week. The Garda Headquarters’ response to inquiries also revealed an increase of 42% in drivers’ breath tests from April 12th to 24th, compared to the same timeframe last month. Confirmation from the Garda also included the 22% rise in detections for drunk driving as shared by Ms O’Donnell, totalling 344 detections overall.
“The Garda have affirmed that their diligent efforts have positively influenced enforcement figures, contributing significantly to Ireland’s overall road safety strategy. However, their involvement extends far beyond these statistics.”