Problem of Road Accident Deaths in Ireland - Essay Example

You're 07 November 2006 RESPONSES TO THE PROBLEM OF ROAD ACCIDENT DEATHS IN IRELAND INTRODUCTION In a world where buses are "flying coffins" and "moving morgues" and pedestrians should tremble, public-health experts take on a neglected epidemic (Reed, 2002). Road accidents are a major cause of death in Ireland. It is a fact that road accidents are a common problem everywhere in the world, but it is the regulations and the level of efficiency of various law enforcement divisions in Ireland which play an extremely crucial role in minimizing road related deaths and avoidable accidents to begin with. If the laws are not effectively organized, and effective in assisting officers with dealing with motor vehicle problems, then the repercussions of this are going to affect the civilians; which thus lead into an overwhelming amount of detrimental highway and rural road adversities for everyone who drives. Currently, Ireland has the third highest road and highway fatality deaths throughout the world and much of this has to do with how the law has been regulating the speed limit. The speed for traveling motorists is extremely high and concretes the growing problem of accidents taking place on the highways (RTE News 2006). Furthermore, the research that the National Safety Council has gathered shows that the majority of the problems are necessarily due to any lack of help from law enforcement, but rather from the civilians themselves. Research has proven that if more motorists would be willing to not drink and drive, buckle up, and refrain from speeding there would be far less fatalities on the highways, rural roads, and urban roads within the country of Ireland (RTE News 2006). RESPONSES MADE BY IRISH GOVERNMENT Advertising Queensland Government spent $1.4 million on a media campaign of graphic TV advertisements last April 2006, ahead of the Easter Road Safety period. These advertisements show graphic images of maimed bodies and mangled car wrecks (King, 2006). Speed Limits Ireland | Revised Speed Limits 2005 The following are legal maximum speeds for passenger cars. Discretion should be used when driving in conditions of poor visibility (Ireland, 2006). Proper Driving Tips To Avoid Accident: 1. Always drive with dipped headlights even on bright sunlight to improve you visibility to other road users. 2. One hundred meter distance between you and front vehicle is advisable; exceptions are when you are driving in slow, dense urban traffic. 3. Beware of head-on collision by not overtaking except on a divided highway or where a special overtaking lane is provided (Ireland, 2006). Type of Road and signage colouring Road Numbering Range Default speed limit* M1-M99 [Motorways] N1-N99 R001-R999 N R Divided highways have no specific limit. The default limit is either 80 km/h if it is an R route or 100 km/h if an N route N1-N99 [Single or dual carriageway highways] R001-R999 & "unnumbered" roads outside urban areas Urban Areas Selected Pedestrian and residential zones Selected suburban and other routes The speed limit for vehicles towing trailers, caravans, etc.,is 80 km/h (or less where signposted). The speed limit for trucks (over 3.5 tonnes)and single deck buses is 80 km/h (or less where signposted). The speed limit for double deck buses is 65 km/h (Ireland, 2006). Random Breath Testing This test is only possible if there has been a road traffic offence, incident or the police suspect that the driver is drunk. FACTS The Positives "Last year in Northern Ireland, there was the lowest death rate in 50 years and certainly a huge amount of that is due to the fact that we did introduce shock advertising in 1994 and we have continued with a tactic of shock advertising ever since," said Julianne Bailey, the firm's executive creative director (King, 2006). The negatives "Last year in Northern Ireland, there was the lowest death rate in 50 years and certainly a huge amount of that is due to the fact that we did introduce shock advertising in 1994 and we have continued with a tactic of shock advertising ever since," said Julianne Bailey, the firm's executive creative director (King, 2006). Globally, exceedingly millions of people die due to car crashes and other road-traffic injuries; counting 20 million each year. It is expected that these accidents will increase to third place by 2020 coinciding with the increase of motor vehicles. The epidemic is fiercest in developing countries. According to the World Health Organization, about 85 percent of all deaths globally due to traffic crashes and 90 percent of the disabilities caused by them happen in low- and middle-income countries. The poorest people in those countries are the hardest hit (Harvard, 2002). Negligence by Motorists with Regard to Following the Driving Laws Laws for motorists are passed down not to try and control civilians' personal lives but to rather protect their lives in the present and for the future. The problem is that people are neglecting to abide by the driving laws set forth by the Safety Council in Ireland. In Ireland, over 40% of the fatalities on the road are the result of speeding (Business 2000 Case Study). To give further evidence to what the problems are consisting of, the people do not want to pay attention to their driving the way that they should. Research that is irrefutable shows that 86% of the accidents that take place are due to the reckless behaviors and careless errors of the drivers themselves (Condon 2003). The NRA has gathered enough sufficient information to clearly state that 36% of the accidents that occurred last year alone were due to the fact that drivers were veering onto the wrong side of the road, perhaps due to falling asleep at the will or more than likely drinking and driving. There are all sorts of reasons that these types of careless acts are taking place but the main concern is with what they are creating and that is a loss of life that could be so easily avoided it is almost ironic to say the least. For instance, many drivers do not even yield at a yield sign even though they are aware it is the law and it is the safe thing to do. The research finds that incidences such as this lead to 376 people being killed last year, something that is terribly concerning to the public and the officials making the road laws as well (Condon 2003). Although there has been a slight reduction in the amount of fatal crashes in Ireland the amount is still at a staggering figure and is promoting nothing but adversities on the roadway for innocent people. Statistically, 30% of the accidents involved one vehicle, while a confusing 38% where head on collisions. This makes one ask themselves what these drivers could have been doing while driving to not see a car in front of them or in the case of single vehicle accidents, how in the world did they end up in such a circumstance to begin with and why was the end result death Obviously the answer to this is quite easy as the drivers are simply not paying attention, they are not buckling up, and they are speeding and or drinking and driving at the same time. This leads to only one negative outcome and that is a higher risk of accident or death resulting from that accident, neither or acceptable (Condon 2003). What Law enforcement needs to make abundantly clear to all those who drive a motor vehicle is the fact that they have a social responsibility to themselves and to all the other motorists on the road to drive safely and responsibly, and this is not carried out by speeding or by other adverse driving behaviors either. Because of the rising amount of accidents in the country, highway and other road fatalities in the country have become a huge public concern because there is absolutely no logical reason why it should be happening; that is if the laws are abided by. The Department of Transportation in Ireland does have goals and aims to try and reduce the fatalities, causalities, and other adversities on the roads in the country (Business 2000 Case Study). Of course some of these can be found to be quite similar to the implementations that other countries and states have put into place to reduce their traffic deaths and violations every year as well. One of the ways in which they do try to maintain control over this area is with continuous monitoring and management of road safety procedures. Also, they then begin eliciting people to discuss how to properly operate motor vehicles to reduce the possibility of motor vehicle accidents. Road safety has to become a priority because when the statistics of the car accident fatalities in Ireland are examined closely the numbers are appalling. In 2003 alone there were 336 people killed on the roads in the country but it is a far cry from where it had been. For instance, in 1972 there were 640 people killed in roadside accidents so it does seem that the law has been making some improvements over the years. Still, the numbers are not where they need to be as roadside deaths should be very minimal and for this to be in the hundreds, it is just not feasible whatsoever (Business 2000 Case Study). Within the EU, Ireland is ranked number 7 for having the highest number of motor vehicle fatalities. The EU itself sees well over 35,000 fatalities relative to car accidents every year, a figure that is simply not acceptable and should not be. Lives are being lost needlessly when small changes could be all that is necessary to prevent the same reoccurrences year after year. Unless the country of Ireland wants to continue dealing with road fatalities then the strategies that the National Road Safety Program has put in effect have to be enforced at all times (Department of Public Health, Medicine, and Epidemiology 2001). Three Defined Causes of Roadside Fatalities in Ireland and Ways to minimize them One major problem that has been pinpointed in the country and that has significance on the amount of accidents and fatalities that have been taking place over the years has to do with the tourists that come to the country of Ireland. Those who are driving in Ireland are often unfamiliar with the driving styles in the country; they do not know that often the opposite side of the road is where they should be driving as they are accustomed to their own traditional driving habits. This type of action alone leads to many road accidents in the country because the tourists are obviously not responsible enough to familiarize themselves with the driving regulations within the country. This creates a large amount of the adverseness in the current driving situation, but of course not all of it. It is indeed something that has to be corrected to get the statistics lowered and save lives (U.S. Dept. of State 2006). Furthermore, it is evident that many citizens from the U.S. often encounter road conditions that they are not wholly familiar with either, which thus creates potential driving adversities as well. For instance, in the United States, turning right on red when there is no oncoming traffic is perfectly legal but in the country of Ireland this is not acceptable driving behavior. Also, the roads are often narrower and much curvier than what Americans are use to driving upon, regardless of how experienced they are in driving in native states that are mountainous or smaller, etc (U.S. Dept. of State 2006). The roads in Dublin are far more dangerous than any US roads that are in existence and a lot of this has to do with the heavy traffic and overcrowding that exists. In America this is not as a significant of a problem as it is in Ireland and therefore impatience and irresponsibility in-behind the wheel can be the cause of some terrible auto pile ups and death on the roads in the country. A few recommendations that are given to lower accidents caused by tourism are to read the traffic handbook before even going to the country. The U.S. State Dept. clearly points out that it is better for US citizens to rent taxis and other means of transportation if they do not have time to read the Irish driving handbook manual in order to avoid a possible accident from taking place while visiting in the country. These two recommendations alone can reduce some of the fatalities that are still occurring due to lack of knowledge or just outright uncaring behavior while driving a motor vehicle. Another underlying issue is with the youth and their driving habits which are often reckless and irresponsible, creating havoc on the roads for other motorists to attempt to avoid (National Youth Council of Ireland 2001). Because of the many problems that the youth have created on the roadways in Ireland due to drinking and driving and other drug usage, the Advisory Council has imposed various methods to try and minimize the adverseness of this situation but it still remains a significant concern to those who are having to deal with it and of which are trying to promote safety precautions for all motorists due to it (BBC News 2006). Driving an automobile is a huge responsibility because it involves the lives of many. The teen driver is risking his life when he brings a vehicle on the road without being confident of his driving skills or without having prior experience. It has been noticed that while most of us think that driving accidents are connected with alcohol consumption, the statistics reveal that most accidents by teenagers are caused due to immaturity and lack of experience. "Driving an automobile requires making skilled and well-timed decisions several times a second. Such decisions are based on prior knowledge and driving experience" (Bondurant 2004). Surprisingly, most teen drivers in Ireland that are involved in fatal crashes are often sober. Most such crashes are simply the result of poor judgment caused by inexperience and immaturity. Driver error, such as driving too fast, over-correcting and running off the road are all common place factors. Because teenage drivers are less likely to wear seat belts, the consequences of their crashes are often more severe (The Post Standard 2002). The reason that the Irish government fails to understand the gravity of the situation; with regard to accidents caused by teens, is due to the fact that the problem emerges from its inability to crosscheck the causes of teen accidents. It has been widely believed that most accidents are caused by drunk driving which has led to laws against alcohol consumption while and immediately before driving. However while it is certainly true that drunk driving causes accidents, that is not the sole cause of more than 3,000 crashes a year involving teen drivers. Most accidents are caused by poor judgment, which is the result of teen drivers coming behind the wheel without any real road sense, and without the confidence required for making mature decisions in tough situations. Another important factor in teen accidents is ostentatious spirit of competition. Teen drivers regularly over speed either to show off their cars, their driving skills or just for fun. Sadly they do not realize the amount of risk involved in speeding. The government can change this problem area by implementing more knowledgeable classes for the youth so that they are better prepared to drive on the roads. Also, better information about the affects of drinking and driving should be put into place as well just as a safety precaution to make it more clear of what the consequences will be for anyone who drives under the influence (Bondurant 2004). The final hazard on the roads in Ireland, and what has clearly been found to be a problem in other parts of the world as well is with regard to elderly drivers. As society as a whole becomes older and a greater amount of older people are on the road, the safety for the older driver and the other motorists is becoming a problem that everyone in Ireland has to face. The 'baby boomer' generation is getting older as well which changes the scenario greatly. More pertinently, Ireland needs to take "the safety of the roads into consideration with all problem areas being looked at", not just by making assumptions or focusing on problem areas here and there (BBC News 2006). That won't work, especially not with regard to elderly drivers. Older drivers are equal to teens in the high number of accidents they cause. With young drivers it is inexperience that causes accidents. With older drivers it is the rate of their reaction time. However, the government does not want to discriminate against the older driver by taking their driving privileges away because there are good and bad drivers to be found in every age category. There are three possible ways to implement a change. First, the Ireland Advisory Council could have the elderly over the age of 65 renew their licenses every two years. The elderly driver can have their eyes examined each time of renewal to check for proper vision requirements. It will also keep track of their accident rate or tickets they have received in the preceding interval. The second way of implementing this is to have road tests at each renewal. This alternative seems a little extreme and expensive for the motor vehicle department in the country. With the number of citizens becoming older it would be impossible to offer enough driving tests. Furthermore, the offenses that elderly drivers are being charged with are minor and are usually a question of reflexes and eyesight not dangerous driving habits. Therefore a mandatory-driving test is unusually harsh when looking at its possible usage as being for only to curb the elderly driver. Therefore there is one more alternative that is a much better fit than these first two. The third alternative is a combination of the first two. As drivers get above the age of 65 the license could be renewed every two years, eyes examined, and records checked. If the drivers were shown to have unsafe driving by citation then the drivers who habitually are more dangerous would be given a driving test. This would reduce the possibility of questions arising concerning discrimination (Dickman 1979). The elderly can be offered a defensive driving course at a community college or at a possible local community center for the elderly. Also, only a limited number of drivers should be required to take road tests and if they do, it should be in their own car, and practicing the moves that cause the most problems for older drivers. As drivers get above 75 years old a mandatory defensive driving course could be required. The older driver could have privileges taken away in a similar manner. As the driver's eyesight is diminishing, the restriction of only daytime driving might be implemented. As privileges are taken away the cost of the license should be reduced. If we as a society take away the rights of older drivers to drive, the older generation will loose some of their freedom and this is not something that seems fair regardless of the road hazards. For some elderly citizens, driving is the only way for them to go to the doctor and to buy groceries. However, by making some small changes in driving privileges among the elderly the roads can be kept safer but yet the elderly can still have certain times to drive in order to get their needs met adequately. Conclusion Motor vehicle accidents in the country of Ireland seemingly take more lives every year than some of the more violent crimes that occur do. Some might say this is due to the fact that violent crime in the country is far less severe than in other parts of the world but still there is a severe problem with the roadways in the country. It might be true that violent crimes are kept minimal, but the amount of fatalities that occur on the roadways every year makes up for this type of statistical figure. There has to be clear methods utilized to minimize the driving hazards that currently exist in Ireland and quite a few ways to promote changes have been mentioned in this research. The most important things that have to be remembered are to always have knowledge about a country's driving regulations if you are a tourist, this will keep you prepared for any traffic hazards. Furthermore, don't drink and drive, it has been made abundantly clear in this literature that drinking and driving takes lives and no one turns out for the better due to incidences like these. Also, always remember to buckle up because regardless of how much time it takes to do so or how aggravating it is, statistics clearly show that buckling up saves lives where as drivers and passengers not buckled up are part of the mounting fatalities along the roadways that are taking place. If people will work together the road can be made a much safer place than what it currently is. It takes initiative, patience, determination, and a will by the government to make an outstanding difference for there to be any noticeable improvements. REFERENCES Bondurant, Bob. "Teen Driving." 2004. Auto-Shop. 22 Oct. 2006. http://www.autoshop-online.com/cchtml/com.involve.teen.html BBC News. "Crackdown Urged on Youth Drinking." 14 Sept. 2006. BBC News. 22 Oct. 2006 http://www.news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/5344310.stm Business 2000 Case Study. "Continuous Monitoring Management of Road Safety in Ireland." 2000. Department of Safety. 19 Oct. 2006 http://www.business2000.ie/cases/cases_8th/case19.htm Condon, Deborah. "Most Fatal Road Accidents due to Driver Error." 26 November, 2002. Irish Health. 22 Oct. 2006 http://www.irishhealth.com/index.htmllevel=4&id=5419 Department of Public Health, Medicine, and Epidemiology. "Injury in Ireland." 2001. University College of Dublin. 19 Oct. 2006 http://www.injury.ucd.ie/mtg2/doc/printed_report.doc Dickman, Irving. "Ageism Discrimination Against Older People." Oxford: Public Affairs Committee. National Youth Council of Ireland. "The Plunder Years." 2001. A Report on Young Drivers and Motorist Insurance in Ireland. 22 Oct. 2006. http://www.youth.ie/download/plunder_years.pdf RTE News. "Road Safety Issues." 19 Oct. 2006. Road Safety Site. 19 Oct. 2006 http://www.rte.ie/news/features/roadsafety/roadsafetyissues.html The Post Standard. "Restrictions and Education Saving Lives of Teen Drivers." 1 Jan. 2002. Oxford: Knight Ridder Tribune News Service. U.S. Dept. of State. "Consular Information Sheet: Ireland." 22 Oct. 2006. Travel State Government. 22 Oct. 2006. http://www.travel.state.gov/travel/cis_pa_tw/cis/cis_1145.html King, Madonna. "Road safety ads - do they work." 11 Apr. 2006. 612 ABC Brisbane. http://www.abc.net.au/brisbane/stories/s1613301.htm Reed, Christopher. "On the Road with Death." Harvard Magazine. Nov. - Dec. 2002. http://www.harvardmagazine.com/on-line/1102197.html Look Into Ireland. "Ireland | Revised Speed Limits 2005." 20 Jan. 2005. http://www.lookintoireland.com/speedlimits.htm Brake, the road safety policy. "UK and International drink-drive enforcement." 7 Nov. 2006. http://www.brake.org.uk/index.phpp=921 Read More