Wrong-way driver detection systems could be key to preventing fatalities - Kilkenny TD
Among the measures used are radar and camera systems that identify wrong-way drivers within seconds, electronic warning signs that alert motorists to danger, and direct links to traffic control centres
Carlow-Kilkenny TD Catherine Callaghan has called on the Government to examine road safety measures used in other European countries to better protect innocent road users from the consequences of wrong-way driving.
It follows the devastasting crash on the M9 motorway on Sunday, which left five teenagers dead and four people in hospital with serious injuries. It is the second horror crash arising from driving on the wrong side of the motorway in a week, which in some cases is being done to evade gardaí or for social media.
Deputy Callaghan said Ireland must look at successful measures already operating in countries such as Germany, Spain and Italy, where technology is used to detect vehicles travelling the wrong way on motorways, warn other road users and alert emergency services immediately.
Among the measures used are radar and camera systems that identify wrong-way drivers within seconds, electronic warning signs that alert motorists to danger, and direct links to traffic control centres to enable a rapid emergency response.
Deputy Callaghan is calling on the Minister for Transport and Transport Infrastructure Ireland to review these systems and assess their potential application on Ireland's motorway network.
"Every road death is one too many. If there are proven measures being used elsewhere that could help prevent even one family from experiencing such devastating loss, then we should be prepared to examine them carefully and act where appropriate."
Deputy Callaghan also called for tougher sanctions where a person deliberately drives the wrong way on a motorway.
"Deliberately driving against the flow of motorway traffic is not a simple road traffic matter. It is conduct that knowingly places innocent lives in immediate danger.
"Where an individual deliberately drives the wrong way on a motorway, there should be provision for a criminal conviction rather than the matter being treated solely as a road traffic infringement. The punishment should reflect the gravity of the risk created for other motorists and their families.
"Our first responsibility is to protect the people who are using our roads responsibly and lawfully. We should examine every available measure, from detection technology to stronger legal sanctions, to ensure that avoidable tragedies are prevented and lives are saved."