Speed detection needed in housing estates

There has been a lot of talk of speed this week.

The National Roads Authority is proposing a rush hour speed reduction to 60km/h on the M50 in a bid to reduce what it calls the "accordion effect", where vehicles braking on a heavily trafficked route cause a ripple reaction behind them.

Most of us would love to be able to travel at 60km/h on the motorway at peak times instead of moving at a brisk walking pace, so it will be interesting to see if there is any merit to the NRA's proposal.

But traffic congestion on the capital's busiest route was the last thing on the minds of the parents of little Jake Brennan (6), who was tragically killed by a car outside his home. They held a three-night vigil outside the Dáil to promote their campaign for a speed reduction to 20km/h in residential areas. The initiative, which has become known as 'Jake's Law', was the subject of a Sinn Féin bill and was met with widespread political support, despite warnings from the Minister for Transport that its implementation could prove problematic.

But like everything else in this country, a law is only as good as its enforcement. Reduced speed limits in housing estates will do little for the safety of our children if the detection vans are not moved from our motorways and major roads and into residential areas.

One of the most notorious speed traps is regularly located on the N4, just as you exit the M50 near Liffey Valley Shopping Centre. This is not an area where children play football on the green or even where pedestrians cross the road. It always strikes me as revenue raising exercise rather than a safety measure.

I would like to see the accident statistics for this particular spot because I can't help but think that communities would be far better served if this van was located in nearby housing estates.

Residents' associations also need to play a stronger role in reducing the risk to children's lives. Attempts by parents to have speed reduction measures introduced in their areas are often thwarted by a minority of people who are afraid that ramps or excessive signage will lower the tone of the area or - God forbid - affect property prices.

In my experience, local authorities are slow to act on calls for speed reduction measures unless there is a broad consensus among residents.

On a related note, have you noticed the reduction in the numbers of so-called boy racers on our roads? I'm not just talking about the 'skangers in bangers', but also the young men who spend a fortune modifying their cars.

There was a time when boy racers plagued my community; now they are reduced to one or two brain dead idiots. You'd almost miss the obnoxious roar of their souped-up back boxes in the middle of the night.

So where have they all gone? My guess is that a large section of the boy racer demographic have either been forced to emigrate or have lost their jobs and can no longer afford to pimp their rides.

Whoever said there was nothing good about the recession?

Policing is nothing but a bad joke in our community

Isn't it great that the full resources of the Garda Síochána can be deployed when it comes to arresting a Socialist Party TD? No expense was spared this week with six gardaí dispatched in a dawn raid to bring Paul Murphy in for questioning in relation to the now infamous anti-water charges protest in Jobstown last November.
 

You’d imagine they could have saved a few bob in overtime and petrol money if they’d given him a call and asked him to attend the Garda station voluntarily.

I couldn’t help but feel a little bit short-changed by the incident, not least because gardaí are as rare as hens’ teeth in my community. You see, my town is experiencing something of a crimewave, with reports of burglaries or attempted break-ins on a weekly basis at least. We live in fear of being targeted next and are in a state of heightened vigilance and near paranoia.

Burglars are targeting cars and homes in my area. PICTURE POSED

CCTVs, once the exclusive preserve of wealthy residents in gated communities, have now become the norm in my estate. Unfamiliar cars and passing strangers are viewed with increased suspicion and we have all become incessant curtain-twitchers. Faulty alarms are no longer ignored as an irritating nuisance. In fact, the companies that service them are doing a roaring trade, as are local locksmiths.

Since our town lost its Garda station as a result of cutbacks, there has been an anecdotal increase in local crime. The only time you seem to see a patrol car in the area is when the guards are responding to an incident. There is zero Garda visibility most of the time; preventive policing is non-existent.

The one exception has been the increased presence of a speed camera van in the village, even though accidents at this particular location are rare. This shooting fish in a barrel approach to road safety must have brought in a fair bit of spare change. 

Perhaps they could reinvest some of this revenue in new squad cars for our division. Our nearest Garda station is in a neighbouring town five kilometres away. There, a lack of available patrol cars is impeding gardaí’s ability to effectively respond to reports of crime. One local Garda told me that he sometimes had to respond to incidents on foot as they are not permitted to use their own cars while on official duty.

I suspect that those behind the recent spate of break-ins in my town are fully aware of the policing vacuum and are capitalising on it. The opportunistic criminals seem particularly intent on stealing cars, ‘fishing’ for keys through letterboxes in the homes they don’t ransack. CCTV footage shows the brazen thugs all but posing for the cameras.

In the absence of proper policing, our community has had to come together with its own crime prevention initiatives. We now use social media effectively to alert our neighbours of any suspicious activity and we look out for each other’s properties.

With a general election approaching, candidates can expect to get it in the ear if they don’t commit to the reopening of our local Garda station. Personally, I can’t wait for them to come knocking.