Plans for Gardaí to use ‘undercover’ HGV cabs to monitor road safety is a mere “political stunt” according to Michael Healy-Rae TD.
Following the example of the British, Gardaí will spend part of their shift in an unmarked ‘supercab’ to monitor potentially dangerous driving.
The hope is that from a higher vantage point, Road Policing Units will more easily spot dangerous drivers and prevent accidents.
Deputy Healy-Rae, however, said the real aim of the new safety initiative is to “play politics to the gallery”.
“Road safety is of paramount importance,” he told The Pat Kenny Show. “But I want to highlight [what] the RSA and the Garda Commission are getting wrong.
“In Kerry, we have €700,000 to spend on dangerous junctions – the RSA spent €800,000 on an ad, a single ad, for TV.
“Where are the priorities there?
“In Kerry, I know so many dangerous roads and locations and the €700,000 we got won't even barely do a dangerous junction in each of our municipal areas.
“The Government isn’t really tackling the other causes of road deaths.”
Dangerous drivers or dangerous roads
The independent TD said the HGVs could prevent dangerous driving, but they can’t prevent dangerous road conditions.
“There are accidents happening not because of drivers’ behaviour but because of dangerous junctions,” he said.
“I personally know places where we have had awful accidents, repeated accidents.
“We have so many bad spots where repeated accidents are happening, and our local authorities are powerless.”
HGV a 'political stunt'
Deputy Healy-Rae agreed dangerous driving is a serious issue, particularly for people who use their phones in their cars.
The Government, however, needs to consider the “bigger picture of why people are dying on our roads”.
“If the Government wants to take solid action, don’t be going after the drivers all the time and increasing penalties,” he said.
“When we’re talking about this, everybody wants one, the commissioner, the guards, the Government, everyone wants to reduce road deaths.
“[But] to be honest this is a political stunt.”
Suspected offences seen from the undercover HGV will be recorded by Garda operators.
Main image: Unmarked HGV cab driving down a road. Image: ZarkePix / Alamy Stock Photo
