More Garda checkpoints would be “the most effective deterrent” to dangerous driving and cut road traffic deaths, a road safety campaigner has argued.
Love30 spokesperson Mairead Forsyth described Garda checkpoints as “really important” and said they have a vital role to play in making the roads safer.
“There’s been a noticeable lack of presence of Gardaí at checkpoints in recent years,” she told Lunchtime Live.
“Prior to the crash in 2008, there were about 1,300 Gardaí in the Garda Traffic Corps.
“That number went down to as low as, I think, 650 a few years ago.
“Now it’s only gone up to about 700 or 750; the effect is that we do not routinely see Garda checkpoints on our roads.”
A Garda checkpoint. Picture by: Eamonn Farrell/© RollingNews.ieMs Forsyth continued that this would be “the most effective deterrent” to dangerous driving.
“They will slow down, stick to the speed limit, drive safely and if they see one one morning, they won’t come out the next morning with drink and drugs in their system,” she said.
“So, we really need to see more enforcement on the roads, so that people get used to the idea that there may be a Garda checkpoint around the corner, so they better behave properly.”
Main image: Gardaístop motorists at a Garda checkpoint on Chapelizod Road, Dublin. Picture by: Colin Keegan, Collins Dublin.
