South Meath Driving School

8% of road deaths this year were aged 16-20

Friday 14th June 2013: Minister for Transport, Tourism & Sport Leo Varadkar and the Road Safety Authority have appealed to leaving and junior cert students to be road safety conscious at all times when celebrating the end of their exams this weekend.

With 8% of all road death victims this year aged between 16 and 20, Minister Varadkar joined with Road Safety Authority CEO Noel Brett to appeal to young people to prioritise road safety during their celebrations.

Minister Varadkar said: ‘The end of the leaving and junior cert exams should be a time of celebration. Thousands of students around Ireland are looking forward to the end of the exams. I urge parents to talk to them about their plans in advance, including who they will be travelling with and how they intend getting to their destination’.

Minister Varadkar and Noel Brett asked young motorists to consider the following ahead of their celebrations:

• Consider using public transport to get to and from your destination safely;
• Learner drivers must be accompanied by a full licence holder, who has held that licence for more than two years;
• Never drink or drug drive, don’t use a mobile phone while driving, don’t drive too fast for the conditions and always wear your seatbelt.
• Young drivers should remember they are among the most vulnerable of our road-users.

Noel Brett added: “To parents I would echo the Minister’s comment about making sure your son or daughter stays safe on the roads tonight. This isn’t about being over-protective, so I would urge you to make an extra personal effort and see if they need to be collected following the celebrations. To students I would say be careful who you get into a car with – never get into a car with someone who drives recklessly or who has consumed alcohol or taken drugs. Make sensible choices about how you decide to travel and who you travel with, and don’t put your life or the lives of others at risk.”

The RSA has the following advice for parents and their young adults:

• For parents, ask your son or daughter to avoid driving late at night as this is a high risk period for crashes, particularly among young people;
• For any young adults choosing to drive at night, remember that any amount of alcohol or drugs impairs your driving which could lead to a serious collision;
• Don’t carry more people in your car than is safe. Consider limiting it to two or three passengers and ask them to avoid distracting you while you are driving;
• Always obey the speed limits and never drive faster than your experience or the roads allow;
• Don’t get into a car if you don’t trust the driver or feel your safety is being compromised and don’t be afraid to speak out.

While it is reassuring for young adults to carry a mobile phone, never talk on your phone or text while driving.

Gerard Manley Hopkins penned the wonder lines about the child,

‘The child is father to the man.’

How can he be? The words are wild.

Suck any sense from that who can:

‘The child is father to the man’

No, what the poet did write ran,’

‘The child is father to the man!’

‘How can he be? The words are wild.

Children, you are your parents’ little ‘wonders of the world.’ Enjoy your summer, stay safe and, together, we’ll shorten the winter.

Slowing the human being is conceivably a bad idea. It’s seen by some as ancient, dead in the water stuff. ‘Life in the fast lane’ is the antithesis of all that – cool and mod, exciting and action-packed. A few years ago there was an exhibition in Montreal titled ‘Speed Limits’ which highlighted the new presence of speed in art and architecture and explored the concept in all aspects of life from construction to production, traffic and transit and used the quote ‘The world’s magnificence has been enriched by a new beauty – the beauty of speed.’

Recently I was doing a driving lesson with a young lady who told me she had to pick up her little sister, Millie, from school and that she’d have to leave earlier than scheduled. Then we decided to collect the kid in my car. My learner driver, Robyn, was 17 and our little new passenger was 6, comfortably belted up in the back. As we carefully made our way the mile to their home there was a sudden intrusion from the back seat, “Robyn, faster, faster, go faster.” Robyn smiled and didn’t heed her sister. But, little sister was having none of this slowing down thing. She repeated her assertion bouncing up and down excitedly. I could only reflect on this obsession that we have with speed – from cot to trike to car.

Noel Brett of the RSA, A/Commissioner Phillips of the Gardai, the Minister for Transport and every other agent of no small concern are preaching  day in, day out, every long week end, the nine Fridays and what have you that Operation “Slow Down” is in vogue and to take stock. Gladly most drivers are listening, then there’s the few who don’t, those who fly close to the wind and the ones who come unstuck, unfortunately.

Last year researchers ‘Behaviour & Attitude’ conducted a survey on speed limits. Over half of those interviewed said it was unacceptable to break the speed limit. However, 1 in 10 thought it acceptable to break the speed limit by 10km/h or more while 1 in 3 thought it acceptable to break the limit by up to 10 km/h.

Such people should remember that breaking the speed limit by such margins can have devastating consequences. A pedestrian who is struck by a car travelling at 50 km/h has a 50/50 chance of survival; however a pedestrian hit by a car doing 60 km/h has only a 1/10 chance of survival. In June last year, 12 people died on our roads including 6 over the bank holiday period. This week-end past had 5 deaths, one crash claiming 3 lives in Kildare. With festivals in nearly every town, people are more on the move, weather is good and we all have the belief that ‘It won’t happen to me!’

Our enviable record of being one of the safer countries in Europe in which to drive is being lost this year with 80 deaths so far. What is it about motorcyclists? Their numbers account for less than 2% of vehicles on the road but their deaths account for over 10% of the total. The motorbike is a very vulnerable machine affording little protection in the event of a collision. Those drivers simply drive too fast and don’t believe in keeping their place in a queue.

To date, there has been no road fatality in Co. Meath this year while Kildare tops the bill with 9 deaths, which is 3 more than our capital city. All the wonderful roads, traffic calming measures and ‘Slow Down’ campaigns cannot take proper effect unless the attitude is right. The best place to capture that imagination is in the classroom and impress on little Millie the importance of the correct attitude at her tender age.

Driving locally or abroad can be as simple as a doddle in the park or, on the other hand, a nightmare. Proper planning and preparation for that summer stint in France etc. should result in pleasant memories and a desire for a ‘Wish you were here’ the following year.

A good start is half the battle. In advance, the car should have a full service. Tyres require a minimum tread depth of 1.6 mm, so, to ensure greater safety, make that 3 mm when exiting the home patch. (In winter, snow chains may be required.) Continental driving is on the right , therefore a wing mirror on the left is essential.

Headlights may need to be adjusted so as not to dazzle an oncoming driver. Some countries require the carrying of reflective jackets for the driver and a passenger. The jackets must conform to EU standards. A warning triangle should be carried at all times whether a legal requirement or not.

A Satellite Navigation has replaced the old road map but, don’t discard the latter.

A full Driving Licence must be carried and it is advisable to get an International Driving Permit which may be obtained from the AA at 56 Drury St., Dublin 2. Such Permit is merely a translation of your driving licence and is not a replacement for same.

A Certificate of Insurance must also be carried. Notify the Company of your intended travel, especially if going outside the EU or EEA.

If driving on minor roads, like in housing estates (abroad) remember to yield to traffic coming from the left. You cannot cross a continuous white line to gain access, like at home. And, especially, study roundabouts as you will find that the mirror image (entering to the right) may cause confusion when suddenly put to the test.  Challenge yourself in the quiet of your home with your own ‘roundabout’ on the dining table or on the floor.

Have a passport for each traveller: check that it is in date and not due to expire within a few months of the return date.

When travelling abroad, medical cover must not be overlooked. Notify your insurer who will advise as to what cover applies. What medical entitlements apply at home may not apply outside Ireland. There are two areas of cover available; one is travel insurance which applies to all destinations and varies with the amount of cover sought, medical condition of applicant(s), age etc.

For EU citizens there is the EHIC – European Health Insurance Card. This is available to all, for free, and can be obtained through the HSE. This Card provides for medical care in the EU, European Economic Area and Switzerland. Such treatment may be free or at least at a reduced rate depending on the particular country. However, the cost of getting back home in the event of serious illness, or, bringing back a corpse, is not covered by this Card system – only travel insurance provides such cover. Some countries, such as Portugal, provide State healthcare and hospitalisation for free.

In the event of an emergency, dial 112,  which is free from any phone, for ambulance and police.

Drink driving laws are similar to that in Ireland. In France it is obligatory to carry a breathalyser when driving and subject to an on- the- spot fine in the event of forgetfulness.

Notify your Credit Card Company in advance of your trip. Know whether you can use the ATM abroad and make payments at restaurants and retail outlets. Check the currency used in your country of destination and convert in your bank at home, not at the airport or on your arrival. Commission might cost an extra few per cent there.

Should you be planning on a wine scoop to Burgundy, don’t let it cost you an arm and a leg in overloading, breakdown or exceeding the amount permitted. The anticipated profit could easily end up in someone else’s till.

If intending to use your mobile phone abroad, check in advance whether your mobile provider has to activate your phone. Also check network coverage of the mobile network in the country you’re visiting. Roaming charges for calls and texts were exorbitantly high in previous years so the European Commission forced the providers to drop their charges to about 13 cent per text and receiving texts while abroad is free. Should your mobile internet usage abroad reach 50 euro, the service provider is obliged to inform you so that you don’t incur a shock bill.

To find out who your service provider is, check the phone book; e.g. Meteor is 1905, Vodafone is 1907.

It’s best to draw up a check list well in advance, keep adding to it until complete. Research and enquire of a friend who has already slain the dragon. Don’t be put off by scary tales of the adventure and you might become the next David Livingstone.

Our brilliant road safety record is fast falling away from us: we were world beaters at the turn of the year. Since unlucky ’13 dawned,  we have slipped back to the habits of eight and more years ago. Up to 2012, road deaths in Ireland had dropped an amazing 59% since the first Road Safety Strategy was put in place in 1998 but the decline didn’t accelerate until the ’07 to ’12 Strategy was invoked and which saw a decline of 50% in those years alone.

In ’07,  338 funeral services were held as a result of road crashes. In the following years, those awful figures dropped to 186 in ’11 and to 162 in ’12. The RSA’s plan is to reduce that figure to 124 by 2020.

However, this year shows a dreaded reverse, there being 15 more deaths this year to date over the same period last year – that’s 62 funerals so far in 2013.

A government task force has been set up in response to this development. The new Ministerial Committee on Road Safety is holding its first meeting these days to examine the Garda enforcement of the raod safety strategy.

The admirable achievement of the last seven years was often attributed to the ‘fear factor’ of penalty points for speeding and mandatory road side breath tests for drink driving. When the private speed camera vans first appeared a few years back, road crashes and speeding offences dropped to an all time low. The vans are distinctive and soon drivers flashed others to warn of its presence. So, is it an enforcement problem or were our good drivers not being so good at all.

Over the last year the number of Gardai in the Traffic Corps was reduced from a high of 1,250 to 900 which opposition parties in the Dail and the great Gaybo refer to as ‘inadequate resources,’ inter alia. I believe there is an enforcement problem. In the past two weeks, I travelled 130 miles south and 80 miles west (return) without seeing a Garda in uniform, let alone coming across a Traffic Corps checkpoint. Then of course, no more than anyone else, I wasn’t exactly wishing to encounter one! But, that’s not the point.

I read of an experiment in Australia. A long stretch of motorway was plagued with speedsters and crashes. The State patrols were few and ‘resources’ stretched. So, a single policeman stood beside his patrolcar inside the hard shoulder for some fifteen minutes at a time before moving progressively about 20 miles. This was repeated for a week. In that time, crashes reduced drastically as did speeding offences. Simply, high visibility policing reminded drivers to keep the law, by slowing down and to overtake more carefully. It didn’t cost an arm and a leg – just a presence of one high visibility policeman and a single car. And now, with all the Garda stations that are closing, should we not expect a greater presence on our roads.  Hey, Ray Butler, tell Leo Varadkar about my suggested Irish (Australian) experiment and save real cash.

Well, Leo is in the throes of drafting the new Road Traffic Bill 2013. The Bill will provide for learner drivers and newly qualified drivers being put off the road if they accumulate just 6 penalty points. Those newly qualified drivers will have to display an ‘N’ for novice plate for two years after passing the test. There will also be an increase in penalty points for speeding, mobile phone use while driving and failing to wear a seat belt.

A further important aspect of this Bill will be roadside impairment tests for Drug Driving. I welcome it as I firmly believe drugs to have been the silent killer on Irish roads for decades.

Learner drivers have nothing to fear with this new Bill. I find that with education and a fitting attitude, young drivers of the morrow will leave their dads, mams and grans in the shade. Ni neart go cur le ceile. Come on Lads and Lassies! Believe. Get those statistics of ’13 rectified. There’s time.

Drivers on Irish roads deserve the fullest of praise for bringing our country into the safer category in Europe and even surpassing the German record. As of the 12.12.’12, there were 153 fatalities on our roads which is 22 less than last year. This figure is to be noted particularly because at the half year mark we were one over on the same period, Jan to end Jun, ’11. There’s no cause for celebration, though, as each death brings misery to a family on top of the multitude of injuries inflicted.

The current Christmas enforcement campaign is well underway focusing on drink driving, speeding, non-use of seatbelts and the use of mobile phones; with a little more consideration each one of us can send out the message that Christmas and the New Year will be a happy time and free of the horrendous reality that every fatal crash brings. Meath has had a very bad year so far with around a dozen fatalities, therefore an extra effort must be made to turn that around.

In the year Oct ’11 to Oct ’12, an analysis of drink driving limits was carried out by the Gardai and 9,771 incidents of drink driving were recorded. Some interesting facts were uncovered.

The only age category that increased is that of females between 58 – 67. A significant number of incidents involved male drivers aged between 23 – 32, driving late at night and early morning, particularly at weekends with a blood alcohol concentration (BAC) higher than 100mg.

Offenders aged 38 – 47 had the highest proportion of more than 150 mg of BAC, with nearly half of those detected having a BAC in excess of this level.

A new feature of the lower limits is the increase in the number of people detected driving the ‘morning after,’ especially on Sundays around 11 am. I’m aware of a few instances of people getting a taxi home on the week-end night after partaking of their pleasure. Next morning they got a taxi back into town to collect the car and were arrested on the way home – 11am or 12m.d. area. Keep in mind the medical advice is that it takes an hour for each glass (half pint) of beer to dilute in your system no matter what the physical makeup. Some argue that a good meal or a larger proportioned body compensates. Statistics disagree, it appears and the doctor agrees.

‘Specified Drivers’ is a recently created category and those in that bracket should be very much aware where extra restrictions apply to them. They include the following –

*A holder of a learner permit.

*A holder of a first driving licence, two years after issue. This is now the case in Class ‘B’ (cars, vans and other categories) after passing the test, when the ‘N’ plate will be displayed from next year.

*A holder of a SPSV licence whilst driving in the course of business.

*Person not holding a licence for the category of vehicle being driven.

*If a driver is not carrying his/her licence, such person is breath tested at the lower limit (20mg)

In drink driving analysis ’08 to ‘12, recidivist (repeat offender) drink drivers exceeded 10%. There were 5 offenders with 10 or more offences; one driver had 26 driving offences.

Of those drink driving offences committed, 86% were male and 14% female offenders. After Irish offenders, it was Polish, Lithuanian and Latvian who were next listed.

All holders of a learner permit are reminded that under the new Road Traffic Bill, there will be 2 penalty points for not being accompanied by a qualified driver and 2 more for non display of the ‘L’ plate. Points are doubled on opting for a Court hearing, should a conviction follow.

Drive with greater care over the Festive Season. Parents, know where your teenagers are. Don’t leave your car keys available for the puca puca man. Check the battery of your fire alarms; put on your house alarm once you leave the house or retire for the night.