Has the standard of driving on Irish Roads really improved? The number of fatalities might have reduced - but has the number of accidents - how many accidents dont go through the insurance and are not reported in the calculation of official stats?
I see it everyday - people who continue to use mobiles while driving, drive in excess of the speed limits, fail to obey basic lane discipline on roundabouts (some dont even know which lane they are suppose to be in), fail to stop and head on straight through a red light, blocking junctions, simple things like indicating to show their intention to maneouvre seems to be beyond some drivers basic level of capability, wreckless proceeding from minor to major roads and failing to give way to oncoming traffic. In one incident - while stopped at a traffic lights - there was little child of no more than four jumping around the back seat of a car driven by a woman - the kid was obviously not secured in a child seat - if in an accident that child would have been straight through the windscreen with multiple injuries.
I wonder the extent to which penalty points are effective when you see PSV and HGV holders exceeding speed limits on the M1, M50 and on primary, secondary roads and motorways everyday? I am not saying these are the only roadusers who break the law - but in pressing the point about enforcement - it seems that if these peoples livelihood is wholly dependent on possessing a driving license - which it is - logic would also say that when they speed - they are not really afraid of being caught or getting 12 penalty points, disqualification from driving, loss of occupation and income. Hence, the question about enforcement - from both Garda Siochana and the Road Traffic Corp. Cameras strategically placed would be a nice little earner for our cash strapped exchequer.
I see it everyday - people who continue to use mobiles while driving, drive in excess of the speed limits, fail to obey basic lane discipline on roundabouts (some dont even know which lane they are suppose to be in), fail to stop and head on straight through a red light, blocking junctions, simple things like indicating to show their intention to maneouvre seems to be beyond some drivers basic level of capability, wreckless proceeding from minor to major roads and failing to give way to oncoming traffic. In one incident - while stopped at a traffic lights - there was little child of no more than four jumping around the back seat of a car driven by a woman - the kid was obviously not secured in a child seat - if in an accident that child would have been straight through the windscreen with multiple injuries.
I wonder the extent to which penalty points are effective when you see PSV and HGV holders exceeding speed limits on the M1, M50 and on primary, secondary roads and motorways everyday? I am not saying these are the only roadusers who break the law - but in pressing the point about enforcement - it seems that if these peoples livelihood is wholly dependent on possessing a driving license - which it is - logic would also say that when they speed - they are not really afraid of being caught or getting 12 penalty points, disqualification from driving, loss of occupation and income. Hence, the question about enforcement - from both Garda Siochana and the Road Traffic Corp. Cameras strategically placed would be a nice little earner for our cash strapped exchequer.
