I wish to assure the Deputy that the enforcement of the traffic legislation is being given a high priority by the Government and, of course, by the Garda Síochána.
As the House may be aware the Garda national traffic bureau, which is headed by a chief superintendent is focusing on the ongoing Garda enforcement campaign i.e. Operation Lifesaver, which commenced on 14 July 1997, and is engaged in formulating enforcement strategies aimed at reducing road deaths, and serious injuries. Furthermore, the bureau regularly review their enforcement strategies in order to maximise their effect. Also, the Operation Lifesaver strategy has been endorsed in the Government's National Strategy on Road Safety which was launched in July 1998 and has set a target of reducing deaths and serious injury accidents by at least 20% on their 1997 level.
In this regard the provisional total for the number of road deaths in 1999 was 413 compared to 458 in 1998, showing a decrease of 45 deaths on the 1998 total. However, while this reduction was a significant one it must be stressed that the numbers killed and injured on Irish roads is still unacceptably high by international standards.
As a result of Operation Lifesaver the four offences of excessive speeding, drink driving, failure to wear seat belts and dangerous-careless driving have been identified as major factors in fatal and serious injury accidents and have been singled out for particular attention by the Garda in their enforcement policies. In 1999, for example, as part of the Operation Lifesaver campaign, the Garda launched intensive campaigns to target these issues, i.e. Operation Belt-up focusing on seat belt offences, Operation Check-up focusing on vehicle road worthiness issues and Operation Juggernaut focused on offences in relation to heavy goods vehicles. The following tabular statement which the House may find useful, summarises Garda activity in relation to the key offences since the commencement of Operation Lifesaver:
