The information got here as highway security marketing campaign group Parc stated it was important that real-time sharing of data on disqualifications, insurance coverage, driver and car particulars be achieved below the Highway Site visitors Act 2023 to permit gardaí to successfully deal with rogue motorists at roadside checkpoints.
There was an alarming surge in highway deaths right here over latest months.
Eire’s highway dying toll is now 31pc larger than for a similar interval in 2023 – with final yr representing the worst for highway fatalities in additional than a decade.
A complete of 55 folks have died on Irish roads to date this yr, with 16 deaths this month.
The variety of fatalities represents a 33pc enhance on the 12 deaths recorded final March, with two days nonetheless left within the month.
The entire variety of deaths this yr is 13 greater than for a similar interval final yr.
The dying toll consists of 24 drivers, 17 passengers, 10 pedestrians, three motorcyclists and one pedal bike owner.
Of these fatalities, 22 folks had been aged 30 and youthful.
Eleven of the younger individuals who died had been passengers.
Gardaí, the Highway Security Authority (RSA) and security charities have pleaded with folks to drive fastidiously over the Easter weekend. If the pattern in highway deaths continues, Eire is on track to file the worst yr for highway fatalities in additional than twenty years.
RSA chairperson Liz O’Donnell stated the latest scale of highway fatalities was “a trigger of great concern”.
She appealed to highway customers to stick to security recommendation and decelerate, by no means drink whereas inebriated or medication, keep autos and pay attention to different highway customers, particularly cyclists and pedestrians.
The surge in highway deaths got here as personnel inside devoted highway policing models (RPUs) fell by nearly 20pc over the previous seven years.
In 2022, Garda RPUs had 692 members however that fell to 688 final yr and has now dropped to 627 officers.
The Irish Unbiased has realized that full information sharing between the RSA, Division of Transport, gardaí and the motor insurance coverage trade is not going to be achieved till subsequent yr on the earliest.
Junior Transport Minister Jack Chambers stated gardaí utilizing handheld units will be capable to have real-time roadside entry to information in respect of auto, driver and licence/disqualification data from subsequent month.
Parc group founder Susan Grey stated it was important that each doable useful resource be supplied for gardaí as they work to implement highway security laws.
“What’s worrying is that the (highway fatality) numbers have been going within the incorrect path, each in 2022 and in 2023,” Ms Grey stated.
For the final decade Parc has campaigned for real-time provision of important highway security data, better assets for Garda RPUs and reform of the motive force testing regime.
Ms Grey stated the latest spiral in highway deaths throughout Eire was “very worrying”.
Social Democrats TD Catherine Murphy was assured 4 years in the past by then-junior transport minister Hildegarde Naughton that the matter of information sharing between varied highway security companies was being progressed.
Nevertheless, it has now emerged that motor insurers won’t be able to entry the information system in actual time till the beginning of subsequent yr on the earliest.
In a communication on February 28 to Ms Grey, Mr Chambers indicated that gardaí will be capable to entry real-time information from handheld units at roadside checkpoints in respect of driver and licence disqualification information from April-June.
Nevertheless, full implementation together with information entry for insurers is not going to be achieved earlier than January or February subsequent yr.
Mr Chambers stated division officers at the moment are working with the Motor Insurers’ Bureau of Eire (MIBI) and Insurance coverage Eire over technical points surrounding prolonged real-time information entry.
“As soon as these measures are agreed and in place, the related provisions of the 2023 Act will probably be commenced,” he stated.
“The anticipated timeline is for intermediaries to have entry to endorsement by summer time 2024, with driver quantity assortment and verification in place by yr finish, and disqualification information sharing to be applied in January-March 2025.”
Parc stated highway security enforcement and schooling must be correctly resourced if the variety of fatalities is to be lowered.
The group has demanded strict enforcement of driving laws and measures to make sure learner drivers should sit a check earlier than they will safe one other learner allow.
Ms Grey stated Garda assets, regulatory enforcement and driver schooling are key parts within the technique to scale back highway deaths.
Present figures point out that nearly 70pc of deadly collisions occur between 7pm and 4am.
In accordance with RSA analysis, the best danger age group amongst highway customers final yr was these aged 16 to 25 years.
This group represented 26pc of whole fatalities (48 deaths) and the figures represented an total enhance of 23 road-user fatalities in comparison with 2022.
Males are additionally dying on Irish roads at a price of 5 to at least one in comparison with girls.
RSA analysis exhibits the vast majority of drivers velocity in 30kmh zones.
A survey of greater than 50,000 autos carried out by the RSA discovered 58pc of drivers had been rushing on roads the place the restrict was 30kmh.
Drivers are considerably extra more likely to adjust to velocity limits on larger velocity roads, with 83pc of drivers in 120kmh zones inside the restrict.
The survey discovered the vast majority of these caught rushing exceeded the velocity restrict by as much as 10kmh.
Non-compliance with the velocity restrict was discovered to rise at weekends and is at its highest from the late night time into the early morning, within the 8pm-8am interval and notably between 4am-8am.
The RSA is aiming to personalise different highway customers comparable to cyclists and pedestrians.
It goals to assist folks transfer away from an “us versus them” strategy between drivers and different highway customers.
“Everybody utilizing the roads ought to reveal protected highway consumer behaviour and defend weak highway customers, together with cyclists,” RSA chief govt Sam Waide stated.
“Extreme velocity continues to be a number one contributory consider deadly collisions in Eire and internationally.”