Road Deaths Hit 400 In Weekend Of Carnage

By Colm Heatley

The carnage on Ireland's road continued this weekend after a 48 hour period during the weekend seen six people loose their lives on the country's roads.

Last week 11 people died in a 24 hour period on the roads.

The rising fatalities have prompted fresh criticism of the government's road safety strategy.

This week Taoiseach Bertie Ahern said he hoped the sadness of the loss of lives would "touch the psyche of the community" and lead to more responsible driving.

Among the six killed over the weekend were three teenage girls, two of whom had been passengers in the same car.

"It's like all of the accidents, they are horrific and thet are all very sad stories for families, for friends and for communities, said Mr Ahern.

"All we can continue to do is to urge people to show some caution.

"None of these accidents makes anyone other than very sad, and I hope that just gets through to the psyche of the community.

"The people who can do something about it, to be frank with you, are the people who are driving cars every day".

So far the number of people killed on the roads stands at 220, over 20 more than for the same period last year.

Among the weekend's fatalities were 14 year-old Catherine Doyle from Co Kilkenny, who died when the car in which she was a passenger hit a wall.

Less than 24 hours later two 15 year-old girls died in the car in which they were travelling hit a ditch in Co Limerick.

A 77 year-old woman was killed when she was struck by a car at a pedestrian crossing in Tiperarry.

Despite Mr Ahern's plea for caution and Justice Minister Michael McDowell's statement last week that blamed drivers and not the Gardai for the high death toll, the government has still come under strong criticism from road safety campaigners.

Last week the state's own road safety watchdog described the driving test as a 'fiasco'.

Tens of thousands of untested drivers are allowed to drive on Ireland's roads unaccompanied, even after failing their tests.

The waiting list for tests is up to 12 months in some areas.

Figures revealed last month also showed that half of the speed camera photographs taken by Gardai don't develop and so drivers can't be prosecuted.

A new national system of speed cameras is expected to be in place by November.