The unsettling increase in road deaths recently has garnered considerable concern and discussion. A myriad of factors are to blame for this rise, suggesting that a universal approach is required to combat it. This week saw the declaration of more resources dedicated to educating drivers, and the Garda Commissioner, Drew Harris, admitted that there’s a need for increased funding towards traffic law enforcement.
Two contentious strategies set for implementation next year could potentially have a great impact. The plan to implement countrywide reduced speed limits may annoy certain drivers. However, irrefutable evidence shows that lowering speeds results in a decline in accidents and reduces the chance of death or serious injuries.
A common critique of reduced speed limits is that they are frequently overlooked without appropriate enforcement. The second strategy could potentially solve this. There are plans to install cameras to capture the number plates of vehicles illegally driving through red lights or bus lanes in Dublin at the start of the next year, with these being rolled out nationally later. The existing scant array of stationary speed cameras on motorways and national routes will be expanded. These cameras, also designed to spot phone usage and failure to buckle seatbelts, are connected to an automatic system that issues punishments and fines.
This system was previously tested at one of Dublin’s frequent accident sites – the intersection of the Luas Red Line and Blackhall Place. The trial results were striking, recording large counts of illegal driving in a small timeframe. Of prime importance was the substantial decrease in the number of red light violations during the six-month test. The evidence is straightforward; these systems improve driver behavior.
Some argue that this technology is an invasion of privacy, however, it presents a potential solution to the dilemma of allocating ample personnel to policing roads amidst a growing population. The Department of Transport’s State Minister, Jack Chambers, recognises that enforcement rates have “plummeted” and, without question, there’s an urgent need for more gardaí. Nonetheless, these new systems can enhance their efforts. Citizens are now granted strong data protection rights, which should alleviate apprehensions of governmental surveillance overstepping its bounds.
Beyond the capacity of the novel cameras to conserve lives, they also harbor the ability to aid the ongoing initiative of recalibrating the interaction among various participants of the road. This interaction has overstayed its welcome in a way that unjustly favours individual car owners over pedestrians, cyclists, and those who utilise public transport. This is neither admirable nor maintainable. Therefore, we must see an alteration in driver habits to accommodate this reality.