Muireann Duffy
The Road Safety Authority (RSA) has welcomed a decision by the Garda Commissioner to increase the level of road safety policing in light of a concerning increase in road deaths.
An Garda Síochána has instructed that all uniformed officers must complete 30 minutes of road safety policing during each shift, while 75 members will also be added to the Garda road policing unit by the end of the year.
So far this year, 63 people have been killed on roads in the State, an increase of 15 on the same period of 2023.
"Enforcement is key to tackling this problem and I warmly welcome this response to my call for more gardaí deployed immediately to road safety," RSA chair Liz O'Donnell said.
"This deployment can save lives," she added, as "this will result in increased Garda visibility on our roads and acts as a deterrent to dangerous drivers".
Ms O'Donnell highlighted that rates of speeding and the "acceptability of speeding" have been consistently high since 2020, while the "social acceptability of drink-driving has also increased post-Covid".
"There needs to be a significant step change in order to get back to normal levels of compliance", she said, adding she will discuss the matter with Taoiseach Simon Harris and other senior ministers at a meeting scheduled for Monday.
