Time to address road safety crisis

Cllr Louise Morgan Walsh has said the Government’s latest announcements on road legislation — including new rules for e-scooters and updated RSA measures — fail to address the core issue driving Ireland’s worsening road safety crisis: the collapse in enforcement and the ongoing decline in Garda Roads Policing numbers.

“The Government can issue all the statements it wants about e scooters and new regulations, but none of it matters if there is no enforcement behind it. Road death numbers this year are appalling, and communities in Tipperary are living with the consequences every day,” said Cllr Morgan Walsh.

She said the situation on local roads has deteriorated sharply.

“I continue to witness breaches of basic road safety every single week — speeding, drivers on mobile phones, people not wearing seat belts, and learner drivers travelling unaccompanied. The reality is simple: enforcement has collapsed, and Government has failed to respond.”

National Roads Policing numbers have fallen significantly over the past decade, with almost 400 fewer dedicated officers compared to 2009. Cllr Morgan Walsh said this decline is being felt acutely in Tipperary.

“Tipperary urgently needs a fully staffed, full time Roads Policing Unit based in Nenagh. We cannot continue with part time or shared arrangements. The scale of dangerous driving requires a visible, consistent policing presence.”

She also called for modern enforcement technology to be deployed across the county. “We need more speed detection technology, more mobile phone detection systems, and more automated seat belt enforcement. Other countries have embraced these tools — Ireland is still talking about them. Talk does not save lives.” Cllr Morgan Walsh said she is particularly concerned about the return to school at the end of August.

“Dark mornings, heavier traffic, and busy school zones create the perfect conditions for serious collisions. Without stronger enforcement, we are leaving children, parents, and school staff exposed to unacceptable risks.”

She said the Government must stop focusing on headline friendly announcements and start addressing the enforcement deficit.“Road safety is not improved by press releases. It is improved by Gardaí on the roads, by checkpoints, by deterrence, and by consequences. Until the Government restores Roads Policing numbers and invests in modern enforcement technology, road deaths will continue to rise.”