South Meath Driving School

Over the October Bank Holiday week-end, we came into line with European drink driving levels. The current level dropped from 80 milligrams (mg) to 50mg for all drivers and from 80mg to 20mg for learner, newly qualified and professional drivers. Therefore, for the learner driver, i.e. those procuring a Learner Permit on or after the 4^th of April, 2011, and for a period of two years after passing the driving test, the drink driving limit is reduced to 20mg of alcohol per 100millilitres of blood. In a word, that’s about a glass of beer. This limit also applies to professional drivers such as Goods and Public Service Vehicle drivers. Those drivers are referred to here as ‘specified.’ It applies to those drivers when not driving in their professional capacity. So, the message is crystal clear at this stage, “If you drive, don’t drink.”

But there’s a slight easing of the pain in that there’s a new tiered penalty system to deal with those offences, there being a fixed penalty charge in place as follows –

50mg – 80mg, the driver is arrested and required to provide breath, blood or urine specimen at a Garda station. Where the driver is not ‘specified’ and hasn’t availed of the fixed penalty option in the previous 3 years, he will be served with a fixed penalty notice and receive a fine of 400eur and will be disqualified from driving for 6 months.

80mg – 100mg, as above, and where the driver is not ‘specified,’ will receive a fixed penalty notice with a fine of 400eur and disqualification for 6 months.

20mg – 80mg, as above and the driver is ‘specified,’ there’s a fine of 200eur and disqualification for three months.

Common among those offences outlined is that there is no attendance at the District Court, thus freeing up the Courts and its administrative web and, for a first time offender, it’s a small taste of what might have been.

Gay Byrne, speaking on behalf of the Road Safety Authority, attributed the push to save lives over the last eleven years to saving about 1,100 from road deaths, equivalent to the population of Kilkee or Mohill. When the lower drink driving limits were introduced in Queensland, Australia, there was a reduction of 18% in fatal road accidents and 14% in serious injury collision.

A few bare facts on drink driving in Ireland –

• Alcohol is estimated to contribute to 1 in 3 fatal crashes.
• In 1 in 4 fatal crashes, the driver had consumed alcohol.
• Any alcohol impairs driving and increases the risk of collision.
• Alcohol is twice as potent when a driver is tired.
• Almost 1 in 5 drivers killed on our roads were under 80mg of alcohol when killed.
• Every fatal road crash in Ireland costs the State 2.5 million euro.

At this time of year, with evenings shorter and darker, pedestrians and cyclists are more vulnerable. Be wise and wear a high visibility vest. Use the foothpath where provided and don’t be distracted when crossing the road. School goers are especially fond of using  mobile phones, walking in 3s and 4s and mostly oblivious to the traffic around them.

For the first time in modern driving, we are close to getting the death rate below 200 this year. Remember Willie’s words, ‘Men’s evil manners live in brass, their virtues we write in water.’

The Road Safety Authority, in a recent publication, have announced that it is now a legal requirement that private buses involved in the organised transport of children be fitted with appropriate and ‘fit for purpose’ safety belts or restraint systems as of the 31^st of October, 2011.

This applies to the transportation of a group of 3 or more children where transporting the children is the primary purpose of the journey. This includes school transport bus services, school trips or organised outings such as sporting or social events. It does not include the transport of children on bus services offered to the general public. Buses involved in the Department of Education’s School Transport Scheme are required to be fitted with safety belts since January, 2007.

Organisations or individuals engaged in hiring or contracting bus services for the organised transport of children should ensure that the vehicle used is fitted with safety belts and that these belts meet the required standards.

The majority of buses in the national fleet should have documentation to show that their safety belts or restraint systems meet the required standard. This is due to the additional requirement, introduced in Oct. 2010, as part of the road worthiness test, where owners of buses have been required to present certification showing that the vehicle’s safety belts were installed to an acceptable standard.

It remains the legal responsibility of the bus owner and driver to ensure that their vehicle and all its components are in such condition that no danger is likely to be caused to any person. This includes having the correct certification for the safety belts or restraints.

Failure to comply with the stated requirements may result in a fine of up to 2,000 eur, imprisonment for up to three months or both.

Parents, too, have a moral duty to see that their children travel to school or on excursions etc. in safety. They should also enquire of their children if the use of such belts or restraints is properly checked and supervised.

Mothers, more often, find themselves transporting their own or other children on the many and varied occasions of life’s demands. It doesn’t take much of a journey before the squeals of near murder emanate from the back seat. For children get bored easily, especially on their way to school over and above a trip to the beach. It usually results in mama issuing a severe verbal warning or, worse, turning around and swinging her handbag at one of the warring cats. Concentration on the driving is temporarily interrupted which can result in a crash, sometimes with fatal consequences.

Parents, ensure that each child is properly belted up – remembering that those under 3 years must not travel in a car unless fitted with the correct child seat. Those 3 or over, usually up to 11 or 12 years, must use the correct child seat or booster. Don’t use a rearward-facing child seat in the front seat, for fear of possible serious injury from the airbag. Drivers are responsible for ensuring that all passengers under 17 years are properly restrained or belted. Apart from the risk to injury, there may be 4 penalty points awaiting from the boys in blue, plus a further one by your insurance company.

The Road Safety Authority reports that Ireland’s efforts to improve road safety have been acknowledged once again at European level. The European Transport Safety Council (ETSC) has recently published a report comparing EU Member States’ progress in reducing deaths and injury among pedestrians, cyclists and motorcyclists over the past decade.

Wednesday, May the 11^th marked the launch of UN ‘Decade of Action for Road Safety.’

At least 15,300 pedestrians, cyclists and motorcyclists were killed in the EU in 2009 and, unbelievably, since 2001 that figure reached a total of 169,000.

Research highlights Ireland’s success in achieving a significant reduction in vulnerable road user deaths. In the period ’01 to ’10, recorded deaths of pedal cyclists and motorcyclists have dropped 75% and 66% respectively. Last year fatalities among motorcyclists fell by 32% compared to the previous year. In the last decade pedestrian deaths fell by 54%.

According to the ETSC, progress in reducing pedestrian deaths in Ireland and the Czech Republic and, to a lesser extent, France and Britain, has been helped by a reduction of mean speed on urban roads.

The report states, ‘In Ireland, drivers have slowed down markedly in cities. But, the mean speed is still 54kph with 53% of vehicles exceeding the limit. In residential areas, the mean speed is now 35kph with only 4% of vehicles exceeding 50kph, suggesting that there is scope to follow many other European cities by reducing the speed limit to 30kph.’

In relation to motorcycle safety, the report says that Ireland and some other European countries achieved better average reductions in both the numbers killed and seriously injured motorcyclists since 2001.

However, a RSA  officer states that caution must continue to be exercised bearing in mind that so far this year seven motorcyclists have been killed, nearly doubling up on the same period last year. A motorcyclist, like the pedal cyclist or pedestrian, is that much more vulnerable than occupants of a car. Therefore, the proper personal protection equipment should be worn – head to toe. While initial basic training for novice bikers was introduced in December, there are many who have not received any training and this is the chance to change that: experience is not a guardian angel in itself. Too many motorcyclists want to put on a display of driving, whether through noisy exhausts or just plain speed. It’s seldom that a biker will stay behind a car that is keeping the speed limit; then, if there are a few of those chaps driving in unison, each appears to be putting on a performance to outdo his friend in a circus act, like lifting the front wheel. That’s fine on the right stage, but it sends out a very poor message to other road users, especially youngsters.

The RSA are also appealing to pedestrians who have had a night out on the town to keep off the public road, organise a lift, whether with a friend or by taxi in advance. A person in an inebriated state who walks out of a public house exacerbates his or her condition on clashing with the fresh air, then with a ‘One and a One’ as the Dubliner calls it, from the takeaway, sleepiness sets in and the width of the road suddenly becomes more important than the length of it. Dark clothes or a lack of visibility often spells the death knell for such pedestrian who may even fall asleep on the roadway, not giving some unfortunate driver a half chance of seeing them. People complain that taxis are, too often, not available at weekends especially around pub closing time. Yet, it’s usually the same people who find themselves in the same situation time and time again, whether through thoughtlessness or just lack of a little planning.

If the ‘Holy Hour’ was one time between 2pm and 4pm, then the unholiest hours must be from 12mn to 3.00am for that is when most incidents and accidents occur – without any great surprise. It should be avoided.

After school hours is another time of creeping danger. When droves of teenagers head for a bus stop the footpath reverts to a very narrow line. The chat chat is intense, mobile phones are busy and the banter is electric; as far as most of them are concerned the motorcar might as well never have been invented as a body is shoved outwards or the group just occupy half a traffic lane. Students, you are mere pedestrians and vulnerable. Spare a thought for the dangers lurking.

Motorists, keep a look out for those more vulnerable travellers, the biker, the cycler and the pedestrian especially at those unearthly times. An ambulance may be in greater need somewhere else – keep it there.