History of road fatalities 2013-2014

2013:  190 road users died in Ireland and 7,388 were injured. (39 to 1).  Gay Byrne the RSA Chair was saddened to report to the European Safety Council ETSC and in the RSA Annual Report that 190 road users died in 2013, 28 more than in 2012 and that serious injuries are underreported. Working to Save Lives is the stated adapted goal of the Board of the RSA.  Byrne welcomed the new Chief Executive Officer Moyagh Murdock who replaced Noel Brett, who moved to the Policing Authority Board. Murdock upped the spend om Purchase orders by €20m.

Road fatalities decreased between 2005 and 2012 as we built motorways and removed fatalities from official statistics without explanation, but increased by 2014, two years after the introduction of EDT.

By 2012 the Department of Local Government National Safety Council and Road Safety Authority RSA had for 68 years used the incorrect Highway Code stopping distance formulas and advertising which had failed to eliminate road crashes although the ads had won Awards. Some of the ads in use since 1947 and made available by the Department of Transport Tourism and Sport as well as the RSA are as follows:

Mr Careless Goes to Town 1947: https://ifiplayer.ie/mr-careless-goes-to-town/

Safe Cycling 1949: https://ifiplayer.ie/safe-cycling/

Simon and others: http://www.rsa.ie/Documents/Road%20Safety/Newsletters/RSA_EN%20WEB.pdf

• TRL had misled rule and film makers and Professors on stopping distances since 1946

Driving with one hand on the wheel – a fatal distraction – Published 2012

A new academic report in 2012, by Samantha Jamson, Professor of Transport Psychology at Leeds University revealed that motorists who drive whilst eating at the wheel see their reaction times doubled.  The study commissioned by ensure car insurance and carried out by scientists at the university of Leeds using a driving simulator, found that participant’s reaction times increased by 44 per cent when eating behind the wheel.  For example, if a motorist’s reaction time was 5 seconds on average when driving with two hands on the wheel it would increase to just over 7 seconds when eating at the wheel, so

• I wrote to Professor Samantha Jamson at Leeds University; A driver with a reaction time of 5 or 7 seconds has slower reactions than most drunken drivers and the 3 second amber light time, so should be certified by a medical practitioner as unfit to drive in a public place as they will crash.
• Ensure removed the research from their web site while the 5 and 7 second reaction times were removed from the Leeds University web site and I did not receive a response.

• TRL made the original mistake in 1946 of allowing drivers THINKING TIME before braking, followed by braking distances which are beyond emergency standard and for one-way roads only.
• There is little place for dual controls or simulators in driving or in road safety research.

2013: The retired Garda Commissioner Eddie Rock was on the RSA Board alongside Gay Byrne. In 2007, Rock declined to release information on basic Garda statistics and later had penalty points removed from his licence, officially on three occasions. In a Press Release and on RTE Morning Ireland, Rock on 23 10 2009 claimed that 0.48%  of drivers stopped at Garda Checkpoints were drunk, so 99.52% were therefore sober.

ETSC: statistics for Ireland were provided by Michael Rowland and Yaw Bimpeh RSA.  The Report claimed that 2,100 lives could be saved in the EU each year if average speed dropped by 1 km/h and by 20% with the installation of Intelligent Speed Assistance, but the UK speed limit is 112 km/h as compared with 120 km/h in Ireland.  The ETSC is misled by TRL.

11 02 2013: The Minister for Transport Leo Varadkar, Ref: MLVC 12/3674   LV 404/12 responded to my complaint about Essential Driver Training EDT:  I appreciate that you have concerns about the Essential Driver Training (EDT) Programme.  I believe that the structures in place for communication should work, given good will on both sides, but the RSA have indicated willingness to adapt these structures if they are not working properly.  EDT is not illegal. 

Regulations governing the system are made under section 42(2)(m), (n) and (o) (inserted by section 10 of the Road Traffic Act 2006) of the Road Traffic Act 1961, and section 18 of the Road Traffic Act 1968.  The Road Traffic Act 1933, to which you refer, was repealed by the First Schedule of the Road Traffic Act 1961. 

12 02 2013;  I responded, there are 22 road fatalities so far this year as compared with 14 this time last year, so Essential Driver Training is not working. There were 14 fatal road traffic accidents removed from official statistics in 2011 without explanation and 17 in 2012. There are 8 more fatalities so far this year than in the same period in 2012. Compliance with the Code of Practice under Data Protection Legislation prevents me from discovering the reason for this.

It is the Rubic V Faulkner - Case Stated (which was not overturned to my knowledge) that makes Essential Driver Training illegal as it was Held: That the appellant, a driving instructor was rightly convicted of aiding and abetting the driver in the commission of the offence of driving without due care and attention.  The supervisor must be intended by the Regulation to have the duty, by supervision, of making up as far as possible the learner drivers’ incompetence.

Each Essential Driver Training Lesson states, “your ADI should make sure” you can do what is outlined in the lesson and, “At the very least” this must be done. The Road Safety Authority with a budget of €45.1 million and 309 full-time staff did not conduct research using a pupil when designing Essential Driver Training which is the crux of the problem.

I request that you get one member of the 309 Road Safety Authority staff to deliver by demonstration for you any one of the 12 Essential Driver Training Lessons as outlined.

In reference to The Road Traffic Act 1933, which was repealed by the First Schedule of the Road Traffic Act 1961 the dangerous driving definition and wording is virtually, unchanged.

• Learning to drive safely is a 3-year course and cannot be done in 12 EDT Lessons, cars cannot be stopped in TRL braking distances so road crashes resulting in death, injury and damage continued.
• EDT and IBT was Independently Reviewed by the designer Dr. Charles Johnson for Michael Dolan RSA in 2012.  The Review contained many contradictions and mistakes as swell accusing ADIs, driving testers, sponsors and many more of 'Misconceptions'.  The Review was removed from the RSA web site after I brought the mistakes to the attention of the RSA, but is availale at: https://manualzz.com/doc/9079402/ibt-and-edt-review
• An independent Review by the author could not be considered independent.

27  06 2013, Antonio Avenoso, ETSC  Executive Director, said "We are very happy to see that the new Irish Road Safety Strategy is looking to build upon this progress, which ETSC has recognised through the 2010 Road Safety PIN Award”.  Jesper Sølund of the Danish Road Safety Council presented the policies which led to Denmark receiving the 2013 PIN Road Safety Award and ways of moving forward with an ambitious vision for 2020.  Mr. Noel Brett, CEO, Road Safety Authority said, 162 road deaths were recorded in 2012 and Ireland’s newly launched Road Safety Strategy 2013 to 2020 aims to have 124 or fewer road deaths by 2020, however

• Ireland removed 31 fatalities from statistics in 2011/12. 2013 injury crashes in Ireland and Denmark were 5 times lower than in Germany and the UK. Based on statistics it is unlikely Germany or Britain will ever receive the EU PIN Award. Who checks statistics supplied to EU by Ireland and Denmark?

18 09 2013, the Minister for Environment Phil Hogan (Now an EU Minister) Responded Ref: REP3228/PH/13; responsibility for road policy and legislation transferred to the Department of Transport in 2002, however

• Michael Rowland RSA responded: The setting of speed limits is a reserve function of local authorities. Each local authority has the power to alter or introduce a revised speed limit.  Each alteration of a speed limit requires consultation with the NRA (National routes) and the Gardai.
• Michael Rowland, Michael Brosnan and Brian Farrell were RSA Officials who Reviewed speed limits.
• Minister Hogan appeared unaware that he had overall responsibility for setting speed limits.

25 09 2013:   Velma Burns who had replaced the retired Garda Inspector Michael Brosnan as the Road Safety Authority Research Manager responded to my query on stopping distances and the formula used in the Rules of the Road; “I do not know the formula for calculating stopping distances, apart from the information which is available in the Rules of the Road”.

• Brosnan as a Garda used a reaction time of 2.20 seconds outlined in TRRL Report 1004, while Velma Burns the now RSA Research Manager uses the 1946 Highway Code 0.67 second stopping formula,
• TRL is the source of both incorrect stopping formulas and cannot locate them.

27 09 2013: Velma Burns RSA Research Manager, further responded, that she had received some contextual information from Michael Dolan, the Chief Driving Tester, that the stopping distances are there to guide drivers and the RSA are not making any claims that these are actual stopping distances.

31 10 2013:  Assistant Commissioner John Twomey Ref; TB5.112/08 responded; I am to acknowledge your interest and hard work on your mobile phone App designed to eliminate road traffic collisions but due to compliance with the Code of Practice for An Garda Siochana under Data Protection Legislation, An Garda Siochana are not in a position to release information you require.

• The information required was, the reason Gardai removed the 1922 to 1959 statistics on road fatalities as well as 31 fatalities in 2011/12 from the daily statistics, 116 from the 2008 – 2012 statistics, the reason Gardai and RSA use different driver reaction times and the reason Collision Prone Zones were removed when I queried the similar number of injury crashes on many roads.
• The mobile phone App was abandoned after it overheated with the sun and switched off, so I returned to using VBOX, the world’s most accurate recorder of speed in time and distance.

07 11 2013:   Alan Shatter Minister for Justice responded; Let’s prevent road deaths this winter, every death on our roads is a tragic waste of a human life, very often a young life.

2014: 193 road users died in Ireland, 9 more than the 184 recorded in 1931, 83 years earlier and 31 more than recorded in 2012. I queried the Braking Times/Distances outlined by eight Motoring Correspondents who had outlined the Acceleration Time of their test cars in seconds to get from 0 to 100 km/h; Were they capable of braking to a Stop Normally 3 or in Emergency 6 times faster than acceleration, if not they should be declared illegal in the interest of safety?  A response is awaited.

• Crashed Lives 2014 did not prevent drunken or dangerous driving.

Since 2005, Gardai and the RSA declined to demonstrate while using VBOX the Stopping Distances, explain why they use different distances although TRL is the source of both formulas and I did not receive any responses from motoring correspondents, the 0 to 100 km/h car test times are now rarely reported.

2014: The RSA spent over €41m on Purchase Orders. Media Vest Ltd received €3.9m mainly advertising, Abtran €11.9m, SGS €8.2m and SGS SA €3.9m. Purchase Orders increased by €20m since 2013, while EDT MUST be delivered in 12 hours or a day and a half.

10 06 2014 and 12 06 2014, Deirdre Sinnott Health and Safety Authority responded: Subject: RFI74206: Frank Cullinane Road Safety concerns;

I refer to your most recent correspondence of 11 April 2014 and previous correspondence in relation to road safety concerns and in particular 'stopping distances' quoted in the Joint HSA, RSA and Garda publication, the HSA have been advised by the RSA in relation to the distances quoted.

As stated in previous responses, the Health and Safety Authority has no statutory remit in relation to setting stopping distances relating to road safety legislation and guidance. The Road Safety Authority is the statutory body in the state and therefore I again recommend that you take this matter up directly with the RSA.

• TRL, HSA, Gardai and RSA all have their own Research Departments with different stopping formulas.

11 06 2014:  Moyagh Murdock the RSA CEO responded to my research discovery: I am informed that the RSA has not declared ‘VBOX’ illegal as you suggest.  The Chief Driving Tester is responsible for setting standards relating to the practical driving test including vehicles to be used for such tests.  I can assure you all complaints are dealt with in a procedurally fair, equitable and transparent manner.  If you remain dissatisfied with the way the RSA has handled your complaint or the service that has been provided to you, can I suggest you make a complaint to the Ombudsman, who may carry out a review of your complaint, however

Murdock does not appear to follow the Mission Statement of the RSA or take into consideration the previous responses by: Gay Byrne and Noel Brett on 13 09 2006, the 17 06 2008 by RSA CEO Noel Brett and Michael Comer the Chief Driving tester, on 08 09 2008 by Rosemary Hill TRL Library Enquiries, the source of the Rules of the Road stopping distances who confirmed in writing that TRL did not know stopping formula and referred me to the RSA. On the 31 12 2013 by driving tester Brendan Mulhall who would not allow VBOX to be used on a driving test, the 25 09 2013 and 27 09 2013 by Velma Burns who had replaced the retired Garda Inspector Michael Brosnan as the Road Safety Authority Research Manager and Michael Dolan who had replaced Michael Comer, who confirmed that they did not know the formula for calculating stopping distances, apart from the information in the Rules of the Road”.

• If the Gardai for 92 years since 1922 and the RSA for 8 years since 2006 are ‘Working to Save Lives’, then might I suggest they are going a very strange way about it!
• I am sure of my research discovery, which takes 48 seconds 800m to demonstrate to 120 km/h.

In 2014, the RSA and Gardai released their statistics jointly on death, alcohol, and penalty points, while the DCU Podcast is posted on the RSA web page with advice from students, radio presenters and rally drivers.

• Students and young people are amongst the highest numbers killed and injured on the roads and generally know the least about road safety,
• Gay Byrne, a Radio Presenter was Chair of the RSA since 2006 and failed with others to eliminate road crashes.
• Unlike normal driving of cars on shared public roads, Rally Drivers may have a co-driver, drive one-way only and on closed roads with barriers placed at bends and corners.
• Gardai and the RSA have misled these students and Transition Year Students on stopping distances.
• EDT Lessons as outlined are dangerous and illegal.
• Rules on speed and Stopping distances, Blood, Tears, White Flags, Blessing the Roads or Podcasts cannot change that.

Parliamentary Question 721 was posed by Deputy Róisín Shortall 08 04 2014

721. 721.Deputy Róisín Shortall asked the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport if he will respond to research (details supplied) and in particular to the allegation that road safety advice on stopping distances is not supported by evidence and is inadequate. [16507/14]

The Minister for Transport Leo Varadkar Responded

One of the key functions of the Road Safety Authority (RSA) is the undertaking of road safety research in order to develop measures and recommendations to improve road safety. Accordingly, I have referred the question to the RSA for direct reply.  I would ask the Deputy to contact my office if a reply is not received within ten days.

Moyagh Murdock, CEO Road Safety Authority Responded

Re: Parliamentary Question 721 and 722. I write further to your Dail Question Numbers 721 and 722 to the Minister for Transport Tourism and Sport in relation to stopping distances contained within the Rules of the Road and the Publication of a report contained at

http://drivingscorecard.com/images/documents/Accident-causes-15-02-2014.pdf

Dail Question No: 721

To ask the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport if he will respond to research (details supplied) and in particular to the allegation that road safety advice on stopping distances is not supported by evidence and is inadequate.

The stopping distance guidelines were based on a research report produced by the Transport Research Laboratory (TRL) in the UK on behalf of the RSA.  These are the recommended minimum stopping distances recommended by the RSA.  These are intended as guidelines for safety purposes and are based on many variables.  The author of the report referenced above, Mr. Frank Cullinane, has been invited to present his technology and research to the RSA at the RSA’s HQ in Ballina.  The RSA cannot comment on the integrity of the research methodology used by Mr. Cullinane or on the validity of the findings, without a full understanding of the methodology and technology used to generate this report.

Dail Question No: 722

To ask the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport if he will outline the way advice on stopping distances as contained in much road safety documentation has been determined; the publications or research relied upon to determine minimum stopping distances; and if he will make a statement on the matter.

The Metric ‘Stopping Distances’ outlined in the most recent Rules of the Road (pages 115 – 118) is based on the imperial stopping distances used that were used in the previous version of the Rules of the Road.  The stopping distance guidelines are based on a research report produced by the Transport Research Laboratory (TRL) in the UK on behalf of the RSA.  The metric conversion was conducted by TRL, and TRL confirmed that the stopping distances in the Irish Rules of the Road are broadly in line with those in the UK Highway Code.  A number of the RSA stopping distances were rounded up/down, within agreed tolerance bands approved by TRL, to ensure that they are meaningful and easy for drivers to relate to.  These are recommended minimum stopping distances recommended by the RSA.  These are intended as guidelines for safety purposes and are based on Many variables.

I trust this information is of assistance to you and should you require any further information, please do not hesitate to contact me.

Signed Moyagh Murdock, CEO Road Safety Authority.

Summary

Moyagh Murdock misled the Dail based on TRL advice. TRL Client Project Report RPN2213 by I. York was provided for SRA, Not RSA and contains the Reference book; Triggs and Harris (1982). Reaction time of drivers to road stimuli. Human factors Report HFR-12, Monash University, Australia, which contains; Reference Book; Gazis, D., Herman, R. and Maradudin, A. ‘The problem of the amber signal light on traffic flow’. Operations Research, 1960, 8, 112-132, was used to design the amber light time for straight through traffic at or above the speed limit and overlooked traffic slowing to turn left or right or for any other reason.

The Disclaimer in RPN2213 states as follows:

This report has been produced by the Transport Research Laboratory under a contract with SRA. Any views expressed in this report are not necessarily those of SRA. The information contained herein is the property of TRL Limited and does not necessarily reflect the views or policies of the customer for whom this report was prepared. Whilst every effort has been made to ensure that the matter presented in this report is relevant, accurate and up to date, TRL Limited cannot accept any liability for any error or omission, or reliance on part or all of the content in another context.

17 06 2008, the RSA CEO Noel Brett and Michael Comer the Chief Driving tester failed to supply the stopping distance formula used in the Rules of the Road. 08 09 2008, Rosemary Hill TRL Library Enquiries, the source of the Rules of the Road stopping distances confirmed in writing that TRL did not know stopping formula and referred me to the RSA. On the 31 12 2013, driving tester Brendan Mulhall would not allow VBOX to be used on a driving test.  On 25 09 2013 and on 27 09 2013, Velma Burns who had replaced the retired Garda Inspector Michael Brosnan as the Road Safety Authority Research Manager and Michael Dolan who had replaced Michael Comer, confirmed that they did not know the formula for calculating stopping distances, apart from the information which is available in the Rules of the Road”.

On 17 04 2014, Ciáran Treacy 4 years of age, a passenger in a car was fatally injured when struck by a car which was driven by a driver who was approximately seven times over the alcohol allowed limit. Drunken driving cannot be condoned and has caused carnage since 1897,  It is time to fit all cars with breathalysers and to investigate all road crashes , not just crashes involving death, injury and alcohol.

On 12 06 2014, Jake Brennan 6 years of age was fatally injured when struck by a car driven by a sober driver. The driver said, “I didn’t touch my brakes, it happened so fast”, while Jake said, 'Mammy, I don't want to die'.

On 07 08 1896, or 118 years earlier, Bridget Driscoll was fatally injured in Britain at a time when the speed limit was about 3 km/h and the driver Arthur Edsall rang a bell and shouted a warning, but failed to steer or brake.

Presentation of my Research Discovery at RSA Headquarters Ballina

19 08 2014:  I made a two-hour presentation on the Driving ScoreCard System at the Road Safety Authority Headquarters in Ballina in the presence of;

• Moyagh Murdock Chief Executive Officer CEO
• Michael Rowland Director of Road Safety Research and Education
• Michael Dolan Head of Education and Chief Driver Tester
• Velma Burns Road Safety Authority Research Manager

I outlined the Driving ScoreCard System based on VBOX measurements in book and video as well as an explanation of how VBOX high performance GPS receivers and VBOX data loggers will measure speed in time and distance as well braking distance and more with high accuracy, showing clearly that the Rules of the Road stopping formula is not alone incorrect but the braking distances are beyond emergency standard and for one-way roads only.

Drive or acceleration is at a rate of 10 km/h each 3 seconds, while Stop or Brake is normally 3 and in emergency 6 times faster than Drive.  Steps 1 and 4 may be practiced in a stationary car in the years before driving begins.  As speed doubles the time required doubles but the distance required increases 4 times and the reason drivers should be tested at 40, 80 or 120 km/h depending on driver age and medical condition as follows:

The TRL Contradiction
The TRL braking distance from 100 km/h at 50m in the Rules of the Road in Ireland is 5m shorter than the TRL 55m braking distance from speed of 96 km/h in the Highway Code.

The TRL braking distance from 120 km/h at 78m in the Rules of the Road in Ireland is only 3m longer than the TRL 75m from speed of 112 km/h in the Highway Code.  TRL, changed and did not round braking distances.

• • TRL braking distances are beyond emergency standard and got worse in 2012 without explanation.
  • The Driving ScoreCard System is designed to assess and set standards, while
  • TRL misleads Moyagh Murdock and the RSA, so fatalities continue.

 Road Safety in the European Union 1957 - 2019

On 03 05 2014, or 4 years after I brought my research discovery to the attention of the EU, I again brought my research discovery to the attention of the European Union EU, that the Transport Research Laboratory TRL stopping formulas were incorrect and the Driving ScoreCard System can prove this and eliminate road traffic crashes worldwide.

On 06 05 2014, This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. [This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.], with Cc: to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. responded; Your enquiry will be handled by the Europe Direct Contact Centre on behalf of Directorate General Mobility and Transport, European Commission, Directorate General for Mobility and Transport, Unit C/4 "Road Safety", DM28 04/110, B-1049 Brussels/Belgium, +32 2 298 11 17 This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it., Visit our website: http://ec.europa.eu/roadsafety.

On 21 and 23 05 2014, Europe Direct responded having firstly changed the Subject Line from:

Subject: Driving ScoreCard System capable of eliminating all road traffic accidents worldwide… to

Subject: [Case ID: 0897415 / 3196443] Enquiry received via general MOVE web form.

Subject: [Case ID: 0897415 / 3196458]

 “Thank you for sharing this information with us. In relation to your request, you will understand that the Commission services cannot endorse any particular commercial product. Stopping distances are certainly not the same for all conditions and depend on various factors related to the driver, the vehicle and the infrastructure. Concerning this aspect, we would advise you to contact road safety research experts in order to share the results of your work.

We hope you find this information useful. Please contact us again if you have any other questions.

Use your power. Choose who's in charge in Europe, European Elections 2014.

Disclaimer:            Please note that the information provided by EUROPE DIRECT is not legally binding.

We would like to ask you 4 questions about the enquiry that Europe Direct has just answered. The whole survey will take only 3 minutes of your time.  

With kind regards, EUROPE DIRECT Contact Centre http://europa.eu - your shortcut to the EU!”

• The author of this Europe Direct Response declined to provide their name or the name of the experts I was to contact, after 4 requests for same, but Who oversees road safety?

09 04 2019, I again brought my research discovery to the attention of Europe Direct.

09 04 2019, Europe Direct Responded, reference number 101000443631, without a name or signature; Thank you for contacting the Europe Direct Contact Centre. From the details provided in your message, we are unable to identify the exact nature of your enquiry. To enable our service to assist you, please provide us with additional information.  We look forward to receiving your clarifications.

09 04 2019, I contacted Europe Direct with a link to my research and a copy of our previous correspondence from 2014.  I outlined that this response received in 2019, like the responses received 5 years earlier in 2014 does not contain a contact name or a signature. If the Driving ScoreCard System was accepted by the European Commission in 2014, then road fatalities would be eliminated, rather than waiting for Vision Zero by 2050.

• A response is awaited from Europe Direct.

The European Commission plan from 2019 to 2050 or for the next 31 years is to move close to Zero fatalities and serious injuries by 2050.  By 2050 one third of the world’s population will have died from natural causes.

• The aim of Europe Direct is to provide citizens with general information on the European Union.
• Drivers cannot be trained with dual controls; cars cannot be stopped in TRL braking distances.

The New European Car Assessment Programme EuroNCAP

In 1997, the Transport Research Laboratory TRL established the  New European Car Assessment Programme EuroNCAP for the UK Department of Transport.  During 21 years of test crashing cars, 54,000 died and 5,000,000 were injured on Great Britain’s roads and in 2012, there were 1,754 road fatalities and 1,793 in 2017.

EuroNCAP, established EuroRAP to be a sister programme to EuroNCAP.  EuroRAP, established IRAP which is a UK Registered Charity and the umbrella programme for Road Assessment Programmes RAPs in over 80 countries worldwide, including usRAP and AusRAP, ChinaRAP, KiwiRAP, while, Global NCAP is a UK Company Limited by Guarantee and a registered charity at 60 Trafalgar Square. In 2018, the European Transport Safety Council ETSC, reported, “No breakthrough on road deaths for the fourth consecutive year”.

On 04 04 2019;    The European Commission admits it is off target for reaching the 2020 road fatality targets but sets a Near Zero fatality target for 2050, 181 years after the first fatality occurred in Ireland in 1869.

• Drivers cannot be trained with dual controls; cars cannot be stopped in TRL braking distances.

The Cost Benefit of Safety Cameras (Speed Detection Cameras)

04 07 2014, in a Summary of Cost Benefit Assessment of Safety cameras in Ireland, Derek Rafferty, who was sponsored by the Department of Transport Tourism and Sport and provided with statistics by An Garda Siochana claimed that “almost 24 lives have been saved each year since 2011 because of the presence of safety cameras on the Irish road network”

• If Rafferty was correct, then road fatalities would have been eliminated in Ireland by 2018.
• Drivers cannot be trained with dual controls; cars cannot be stopped in TRL braking distances.

07 04 2014:    Michael O’Sullivan Chief Superintendent responded; I am to acknowledge receipt of your email correspondence dated 14^th March 2014, the contents of which are noted. 

On 28 08 2014,Elizabeth Core was fatally injured when struck by a Garda patrol car.  The Garda driver was later convicted of careless driving causing death.  Evidence was given of 2.5 seconds reaction before braking and braking began 10 to 13 metres before impact, but

In 2008, Rosemary Hill TRL Library Enquiries was not able to track the Rules of the Road stopping formula and referred me to the RSA, while Chief Superintendent Aiden Reid confirmed that, TRL provides the Gardai with a different formula to that outlined by the RSA and referred me to the RSA.  Gardai removed Collision Prone Zones as well as 212 of 990 fatalities from statistics before allowing the RSA to examine only 778 fatalities and produce statistics on drunken driving, while injury crashes are underreported by a factor of 4. The EU Flagged my research discovery red and referred me to Europe Direct who referred me to unknown experts and the Health and Safety Authority referred me to the RSA.

• Garda Warren Farrell was sentenced to 9 months in prison as he failed to stop in time.
• The TRL stopping formulas used by Gardai are incorrect, but Gardai referred me to the RSA.

On 31 10 2014, Liz O’Donnell the Chairperson of the RSA said, “Sadly, the only way we can measure the success of our road safety initiatives is by the number of deaths per year on the roads”. In 1999, Liz O’Donnell who was seriously injured in a road crash was a Government Minister when the Minister for Transport Bobby Molloy drove around Dublin with the Chairman of the National Safety Council NSC, with two white Flags out the car windows, as they attempted to improve safety on the roads.

• Liz O’Donnell is mistaken as she is misled by the Gardai, TRL and others, while failing to respond to an invitation to accept or disprove my research findings by demonstration while using VBOX.

The Garda Ombudsman investigated fatal and injury crashes on:

17 01 2007, a car crashed, and a Garda car was in the area in Galway.
29 07 2007, a private car driven by a Garda was involved in a fatality in Galway.
29 07 2007, a pedestrian struck by a car driven by an off-duty garda.
13 01 2011, two pedestrians died when struck by a car driven by an off-duty Garda.
29 01 2012, a Garda Jeep and car crashed in Limerick.
09 02 2012, a Garda car crashed in Dublin.
15 05 2012, A Garda Sergeant sought a High Court order prohibiting a Garda Siochana Ombudsman Commission (GSOC) inquiry into his investigation of a fatal accident involving a squad car.
19 03 2012, a Garda died in a single vehicle crash in Wicklow.

Between 1922 and 2014:  there were approximately 52 Gardai killed in road traffic crashes, but there were 8 civilian fatalities involving Gardai/Police in an 8-month period in 2014. There is a difference of 21 metres in driver Reaction Time at 50 km/h and 51m at 120 km/h between that outlined by the Road Safety Authority, Police Service of Northern Ireland and that outlined by Gardai. The Garda Síochána Ombudsman Commission was set up in 2007 to provide efficient, fair and independent oversight of policing in Ireland including the investigation of serious crashes involving Gardai

• 2014, the RSA reported that, road fatalities increased for the third year in a row, although it was the busiest year on record for the NCT, as road fatalities continued.

17 11 2014:m I contacted Carmel Foley, Garda Ombudsman Commissioner; Subject: Fatal Accidents involving Gardai and Stopping Distances. In connection with my road traffic accident research I wish to know as follows:

• How many road traffic accident scenes involving injuries and fatalities by Garda drivers both on and off duty did members of the Garda Ombudsman visit so far in 2014?
• What is the Stopping Distance formula from speed of travel used by the Garda Ombudsman during accident investigation?

There is a difference of 21 metres in the Stopping Distance from a speed of 50 km/h outlined by Gardai and that outlined by the Road Safety Authority and a difference of 51 metres at a speed of 120 km/h. An early reply would be appreciated.