More speed cameras for blackspots
Speed cameras are to target hundreds more accident blackspots as part of a country-wide road safety overhaul.
Almost half of all road deaths happen at just over 700 sections of the road - most of them local and regional – which have been identified by traffic gardai.
Until now, a network of “GoSafe” speed cameras were trained on 518 danger zones but a review of the scheme will see a further 243 blackspots covered.
Garda Assistant Commissioner Gerard Phillips said: “We want people to become familiar with them, realise why they are there and to slow down.”
Nearly half of all fatal collisions between 2006 and last year occurred on the earmarked 727 sections of road – which make up just 2.5% of the entire road network.
The garda website, at www.garda.ie/gosafe.htm, includes a map showing the location of the surveillance zones.
As part of a road safety review, 34 sections of road which were previously covered by the mobile cameras have now been removed.
Asst Comm Phillips said the launch of the speed cameras in 2010 resulted in a reduction from 30% of all fatal collisions at the original identified blackspots down to 17%.
“This effectively means in 2012 alone we have prevented 20 lives being lost,” he said.
“We must thank the public for this and acknowledge this positive change in driver behaviour.” But he added: “In saying that, as we head into St Patrick’s weekend, there have been 43 people killed so far in 2013, 15 road deaths more than this date last year.
“Of those, 27 have been drivers and three have been passengers alone.
“There is no doubt that speed still remains the main contributory factor in road traffic collisions. We can never be complacent about road safety and think the job is finished. That is why we are releasing these new GoSafe safety camera locations.”
