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Sam Boal via RollingNews.ie

Gardaí voice concern over increase in road deaths

Six more people have lost their lives so far this year when compared to 2018′s fatalities.

GARDAÍ HAVE SAID they are concerned about behaviour on Irish roads after an increase in the number of deaths this year.

93 people died on Irish roads in 84 collisions so far this year – that’s an increase of six when compared to figures for 2018.

So far,  52 drivers, 10 passengers, 15 pedestrians, 10 motorcyclists and six cyclists have died.

Seventy deaths happened on rural roads with a speed limit of 80km/h or higher.

Speaking at a checkpoint on the N20 near Mallow this morning, Inspector Joe O’Connor of the Roads Policing Unit Cork North highlighted the increase in detections of speeding, mobile phones and seatbelts.

Superintendent Edmund Golden National Roads Policing Bureau appealed to pedestrians, cyclists and motorcyclists and stresses the need for them to be more visible at all times on the road.

He said: “Motorists should be more vigilant during this high-risk period, particularly in respect of motorcyclists. Drivers need to look and look again particularly in their blind spot when turning, overtaking and at junctions.

Of the motorcyclists killed over the last five years, the vast majority were male drivers and the highest risk groups were those aged between 25 and 44 years old.

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    Mute Chris Folliard
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    Aug 15th 2019, 2:05 PM

    In my option learning to drive and learning the rules of the road should be part of the school curriculum and taught at a younger age Teaching kids and setting them up for jobs for the future is not enough. They will need to to drive to their job.
    The driving test is a joke and has no bearing to tell if your a good driver or not.

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    Mute Craig Clancy
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    Aug 15th 2019, 2:16 PM

    @Chris Folliard: I’ve said it for years..but sure how would the government make there money off of that..at this stage we can dream on I suppose

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    Mute Alan Brazil
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    Aug 15th 2019, 2:41 PM

    @Chris Folliard: all good points lads, but you will never get rid of human error unfortunitely.

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    Mute James Wallace
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    Aug 15th 2019, 5:00 PM

    @Alan Brazil: flooring it as you approach a red light is not human error and it’s very common, even epidemic at this stage and I know of two cases that lead to death in the past year or so, one of the deaths being a child for which a driver was recently convicted.
    Watching a video while you drive or checking social media while you drive is also not human error, it’s gross negligence. There’s reckoned to be a 30% increase in that lately.
    Choosing to ignore the speed limit, because you know better than the people that set the limits, again, it is not human error and you only have to read comments on the Journal from previous articles to see how common that is.

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    Mute Oisín O'Connor
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    Aug 15th 2019, 5:12 PM

    @Chris Folliard: only 30% of rush hour commuters to Dublin are in cars.

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    Mute Alan Brazil
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    Aug 15th 2019, 5:56 PM

    @James Wallace: Yes mate not disagreeing with you, what’s their doing is stupidity, that’s crazy stuff, at the same time you might think your the best driver in the world, and that you know it all yourself, but your still prone to make mistakes, your human every one is, mistakes happen on the road.

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    Mute James Wallace
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    Aug 15th 2019, 7:04 PM

    @Alan Brazil: I didn’t mean to make it sound like no-one ever makes a mistake, of course that happens too. My point is there are still areas we can focus on to improve road safety

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    Mute Peter Hughes
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    Aug 15th 2019, 7:48 PM

    @Chris Folliard: Speeding, dangerous driving and gargle……..the 3 of these cause 90 percent of deaths.

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    Mute Ciarán Ó Fallúin
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    Aug 15th 2019, 2:13 PM

    Context is so important here. 149 people died on Irish roads last year, the lowest figure ever recorded (well, since 1945). Yes, we want to see decreasing road deaths every year, but the difference being quoted above could occur in a single accident… Context matters.

    Also, phones need to advance to the point where they recognise if someone is driving and to prevent folks texting or reading messages behind the wheel. And can the ladies (this is a female only issue in so far as I can tell) please stop putting their phone on speaker and holding it in front of them while driving…that’s not hands-free and it’s just as bad and dangerous as having the phone to your ear.

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    Mute Eric Davies
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    Aug 15th 2019, 2:43 PM

    @Ciarán Ó Fallúin: saw a woman yesterday at traffic lights who had her phone wedged in her cleavage and was chatting away without a care in the world !! one thing 99.9% of men can not do !!

    29
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    Mute thesaltyurchin
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    Aug 16th 2019, 9:49 AM

    @Ciarán Ó Fallúin: Dont understand why we cant have voice activated phone for the car. Surely that’s not a massive leap into the future.

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    Mute Honeybee
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    Aug 15th 2019, 2:34 PM

    So , of 93 deaths on the road this year,70 were on rural roads yet where is road policing focused, Dublin and its environs,speed vans on roads at the point where speed limits change, time to refocus.

    47
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    Mute Eric Davies
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    Aug 15th 2019, 2:50 PM

    @Honeybee: plenty of regular speed check points outside of dublin too , the sheer nature of rural roads makes them more dangerous than urban ones – sharp bends , deep ditch’s along side the road , poor road maintenance ,lack of lighting ,overgrown hedgerows and grass verges , add to that the fact that drivers seem to think they can ‘get away’ with driving as if they are in the paris dakow rally just because there are fewer cars on the roads – a big john deer tractor can make an awful mess of a vw gold ,audi or b.m.w.

    17
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    Mute Artugal
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    Aug 15th 2019, 4:37 PM

    @Honeybee: even if it was 99:1 (country:Dublin) it would still wouldn’t change a thing.

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    Mute thesaltyurchin
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    Aug 16th 2019, 9:47 AM

    @Eric Davies: Also zero alternatives, no pavements.

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    Mute John Moylan
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    Aug 15th 2019, 2:10 PM

    My daughter learnt to drive at 13, and went to Leinster Motor Campus at 14. (Car) at 19 has a full licence and years of experience already.

    My son at 16 is about to go on the road on his motorbike, but he’s been riding bikes since he was 3.

    We leave it way too late to learn here, and it should be part of school curriculum.

    45
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    Mute Breifne Lamb
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    Aug 15th 2019, 2:24 PM

    @John Moylan: absolutely should be part of the curriculum. I’ve said it for years.

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    Mute Peter
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    Aug 15th 2019, 2:31 PM

    @John Moylan:

    Did we hear you on the radio a few weeks ago?

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    Mute thesaltyurchin
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    Aug 16th 2019, 9:46 AM

    @John Moylan: The amount of people I know who’ve come back from various parts of the world (that have a transport infrastructure) and cant drive is insane. They definitely should have learned in school, and really have no business pulling out of a slip road onto a busy motorway wondering ‘where first’ is, but we should also have trains everywhere, especially as this rock is so tiny. Cant do it tho, not capable.

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    Mute Batster
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    Aug 15th 2019, 2:06 PM

    Mobile phones have to be part of it. Every day I see drivers scrolling through a screen while driving on motorways, it is incredible to see the stupidity and ignorance so frequently

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    Mute vfagan
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    Aug 15th 2019, 2:15 PM

    @Batster: absolutely. Watching people swerving on the roads to find them on their phones. And on such regular occasions. Lethal.

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    Mute Cynical
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    Aug 15th 2019, 2:31 PM

    @Batster: AT&T in the US did a great campaign in 2010 that had the last messages of texting drivers. http://www.welovead.com/en/works/details/b35CirvD

    The UK seems to have mirrored a similar campaign last year. http://www.ladbible.com/news/cars-uk-last-text-campaign-is-designed-to-stop-drivers-texting-while-driving-20180720

    The RSA used to be good at instilling fear on speeding, but now all they want to do is talk about how great cyclists are.

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    Mute Eric Davies
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    Aug 15th 2019, 2:45 PM

    @Cynical: would probably be withdrawn after being shown a couple of times -in case it ‘ shock or upset ‘ people !! even though THAT is the idea of the ad in the first place !

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    Mute Oisín O'Connor
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    Aug 15th 2019, 3:45 PM

    “Be more visible”. I’m not invisible to anyone paying attention on the road. I’m invisible to anyone on their phone or going to fast for the road conditions.

    22
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    Mute Life is short enjoy it
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    Aug 15th 2019, 2:07 PM

    Just cause we have less road deaths dose mean good. We now have a lot more with life changing injuries and alot more in care homes.

    There was study in New Zealand, the reason speeding blitz work wheather you speed or not. It means less roads incidents due more drivers paying attention.

    This time around don’t think it will work to much addition to the phone. I drive for a living and if there where no phones our roads be at safest.

    Not saying speeding is not happening. But the majority of my near misses are avoiding people on phones.

    17
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    Mute tommytukamomo
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    Aug 15th 2019, 2:37 PM

    I am not in any way pointing a finger at the Garda, they can only do what they are told but the problem is lack of visible enforcement.

    I travel the length and breadth of the country at differing times.
    I can count the number of checkpoints on one hand for the past 5 years.
    I have been breath tested once in the same period .
    The amount of speeders and general antisocial behaviour on the roads really is scary.
    The amount of banned drivers and drivers with no insurance is increasing because there is no visible deterrent (also the cost of insurance to younger drivers)

    Please put more Garda out on traffic duties countrywide and get the judges to pass harsher sentences.

    17
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    Mute Budatron
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    Aug 15th 2019, 3:04 PM

    This is proof that Shane Ross focusing so much on low level drink driving is bogus. It is just one of many problems in Ireland. The standard of driving is atrocious. Speeding is still a massive factor. As unpopular as it is to say there is some elderly people driving on our roads that shouldn’t be let near a car. They have zero awareness of what’s happening around them and are a real danger to everyone. Motorcyclists are a law unto themselves and literally don’t obey any speed limits. There is so many accidents on our rural roads because they are not fit for purpose. They are barely wide enough for cars but then we have cyclists, trucks, buses, tractors and motorbikes to contend with. There needs to be heavy investment in these roads and the by passes of towns and villages before we will see improvement here. They are not able to take the traffic. Put 2 cops in an unmarked van with plenty power under the bonnet, have them driving around day in day out and let them nail anyone who is dangerous driving or speeding or whatever. Then we might see results.

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    Mute thesaltyurchin
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    Aug 16th 2019, 9:41 AM

    @Budatron: So your solution for ‘people driving on our roads that shouldn’t be let near a car’ is er more roads? Got my vote!

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    Mute Jesse James
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    Aug 15th 2019, 2:47 PM

    Lets call a Spade a Spade here.

    The Gardai don’t give a F**k about Road Safety, they drive like Mad B**tards themselves anyway.

    The Government don’t give a F**k about Road Safety, all there interested in is raising Revenue from Speeding Fines. The Speed Limits should be aligned to the type of road, the road surface condition & the weather conditions.

    Drivers have no idea on how to drive & forget about Lane Discipline altogether.

    Road Safety is way down the list of priorities in this country.

    28
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    Mute tommytukamomo
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    Aug 15th 2019, 3:33 PM

    @Jesse James:
    But simple Simon’s hospital will be built no matter how many lives it will cost.

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    Mute thesaltyurchin
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    Aug 16th 2019, 9:39 AM

    @Jesse James: You mean ‘we’ don’t care about road safety, and you right we don’t.

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    Mute HONEY BADGER180
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    Aug 15th 2019, 2:55 PM

    You are never ever going to stop all road deaths. Man wasn’t designed to travel at speed. It’s just part of life. Be more careful but accidents will and always happen.What we can do is raise the price of fines on each incident. 1000 for a mobile 500 for no seatbelt 1500 for speeding. There’s nothing better to focus the mind than money being taken out of your strides.

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    Mute thesaltyurchin
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    Aug 16th 2019, 9:38 AM

    @HONEY BADGER180: Trains.

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    Mute Tony O Neill
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    Aug 15th 2019, 2:38 PM

    Not enough cops policing our roads is half the problem

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    Mute Eric Davies
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    Aug 15th 2019, 2:54 PM

    @Tony O Neill:not enough cops full stop is the problem !add to that lenient judges who let people with 20 or 30 convictions off with a fine or a few quid in the poor box ! in the uk if your in court for motoring offences and you fail to bring your driving licence with you – you are made to get someone to fetch it to the court for you – you can then be charged with contempt of court on top of your motoring offence – here people keep their licence and keep on driving !

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    Mute sean
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    Aug 15th 2019, 3:38 PM

    @Tony O Neill: oh they police them alright. Try driving the N11 where the speed drops from 80 to 50 suddenly for no reason. Gi there at 55 and tell me theres no policing. Theres plenty of policing where the speed on M50 drops from 120 to 100 at Exit 15. Plenty of policing on N81 where th limit drops from 60 to 50. Where theres money to be made for FG theres no shortage of Garda. But like commenters above, the M1, rural areas, danger spots, where they are actually required….no hope

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    Mute thesaltyurchin
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    Aug 16th 2019, 9:37 AM

    @Tony O Neill: Lol! sure thing… We’re the problem, all of us. Our lack of vision, our willingness to blame every minute detail except the reality. There are too many people in cars on the roads. Fix them all you want, police them all you want, there will still be too many people on the roads. Simple. Half the problem, a third of the problem, PLease.

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    Mute Jim O Brien - TechBuzz Ireland
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    Aug 15th 2019, 2:29 PM

    Never see them on the motorways especially the M1/2/3 it’s a free for all with speed there.

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    Mute thesaltyurchin
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    Aug 16th 2019, 9:34 AM

    @Jim O Brien – TechBuzz Ireland: Really? From my experience the average speed on a motorway in Ireland is 20kmph

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    Mute Leo Lalor
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    Aug 15th 2019, 3:42 PM

    Get the state of roads sorted . We pay enough tax

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    Mute Craic_a_tower
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    Aug 15th 2019, 3:32 PM

    Even when people are caught and admit fault causing death they don’t serve anytime in prison. This year 2 cases of drivers not looking at the road and running over cyclists served no time. Both admitted to not be looking with the woman taking tags off a toy for her child as she drove hitting and killing a cyclist.

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    Mute thesaltyurchin
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    Aug 16th 2019, 9:32 AM

    Three collisions in a row this week!! Roads are packed after a period of commuter normality, Welcome back. Please stop crashing.

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    Mute Lynn
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    Aug 15th 2019, 11:19 PM

    Rural roads in this country are extremely dangerous , some of them really need to be redone. Also more Garda presence is so important. Another issue is people going too slow on the m50 trying to merge into traffic it’s so dangerous. And people believing in the myth of the “fast lane” as well as a lot of people not bothering to indicate on roundabouts or not having a clue about which lane to use. More education is needed , more adverts on how to drive or even a video lesson on how to drive safely

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    Mute Eamonn kenny
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    Nov 24th 2020, 11:27 AM

    I’ve only been on the road twice in the past 6 months going to Dublin for post covid checks for my son. I used to travel every day. Appalled by being stopped for checks in rush hour traffic. This in not vigilance. Unfortunately, this has to cause a negative effect on road safety. People are notably stressed. This is all about the look not road safety. Waving us on after holding us up for 15 minutes when people are already time pressured is a very dangerous game…

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    Mute Joe Miller
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    Aug 17th 2019, 5:35 PM

    I’m a regular driver on the M1 from Drogheda to and from Dublin the amount of speeding and tail gating is unbelievable
    With aggressive drivers flashing headlights to pass you as even your doing the legal 120 k more camaras are needed here, big cars and vans are the culprits and mainly Northern reg cars and vans

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    Mute Joe Miller
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    Aug 17th 2019, 5:38 PM

    @Joe Miller:

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