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What has standards of driving and road traffic accidents
got to do with the Orange Order?
Everything, is the empathic answer. Orangemen and Orangewomen
are generally regarded as good citizens of their country,
and their cities and towns, and therefore have every reason
to be concerned about the issues which confront Northern Ireland
society.
Deaths on the roads are among the most important issues facing
Ulster people. The horrific carnage on the roads in recent
months has caused a wave of revulsion and concern throughout
the Province.
Many people have lost their lives, and the saddest fact is
that a high proportion of the fatalities have been young people.
The grief and the loss to their families is indescribable,
and it is an intolerable situation.
Intolerable, in that many of the deaths could have been avoided.
It is absolutely vital that everyone plays their part in trying
to reduce the road accident toll.
It has been the sad fact, that every year, for the past three
decades, an average of 200 people have lost their lives each
year as a result of road traffic accidents.
Of course, road accidents cannot be completely eliminated.
It is a fact of life in the 21st century that the number of
cars, lorries and vans continue to grow at an astonishing
rate. Road accidents will continue to take place.
But these can be reduced to a fraction of what they are at
the moment. The carnage on the road can be minimised. All
people must play their part and do their utmost if this is
to be the case, but it is not impossible.
Without analysing the cause of any of the recent fatal road
accidents - that is a matter for the police and other authorities
- it is possible to pinpoint a number of things that must
be addressed.
The Government must make the necessary funding available
to have roads in Northern Ireland upgraded and improved. It
must also consider raising the age limit for those entitled
to drive. Many people are of the opinion that the age limit
is too low, and not enough teenagers are aware of the dangers.
But it has to be stressed that not all careless or speeding
motorists are young people - all age groups are involved.
Every effort must be made to encourage greater use of public
transport - trains and buses - thus reducing the number of
vehicles on our roads.
When a large section of the Ulster rail system was axed in
1957 and 1965, assurances were given that motorways and top
quality roads would be provided as compensation, for counties
Tyrone, Fermanagh and Londonderry.
Sadly, that has not happened, and although some roads have
been improved, there is a great need for motorways to reach
out to Londonderry, Omagh, Enniskillen and other towns.
There has been a welcome improvement in trains on most of
the existing rail system, notably the Portadown-Belfast-Bangor
line. But a lot needs to be done on the Belfast-Larne and
Belfast-Londonderry lines, and the Government should provide
the cash for Northern Ireland Railways to bring in the extra
trains required to service these lines.
There should be an urgent investigation into the possibility
of rail links being restored to towns like Newtownards, Armagh
and Banbridge. And what about transferring much of the freight
now carried on juggernauts and other heavy lorries. Other
countries do this, but not Northern Ireland, where freight
is no longer carried on the railway system.
The existing police resources must be increased, to deal
with speeding and careless motorists, and there should be
no question of axing the PSNI traffic branch - a rumour has
circulated to this effect.
The courts must deal firmly with persistent road offenders,
especially those convicted of drinking and driving. There
is a zero tolerance in some European countries towards anyone
tempted to drink and drive. It must become the same in Northern
Ireland, if the message is to go out that it does not pay
to break this law.
Draconian? Perhaps. Some people say that even tougher penalties
are needed. If lives are to be saved, and many families spared
the awful grief which results from road deaths, then the authorities
must show they are serious.
Road fatalities will only be reduced significantly when society
takes the road traffic accident scenario really seriously,
and accepts it is willing to introduce the measures needed
to really make a difference.
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