Sir, – Hand-wringing from the Minister for Transport will not solve this. Nor will lamenting. Vague language in reporting road incidents in the media, while well-intentioned, sheds no light. But there is a another way.
Consider the effective model used in air accidents and incidents. An investigation seeks to put right the cause, not assign blame. Mechanical faults of the aircraft are notified to all users worldwide. Airport procedure failures are immediately modified and trained out. Pilot error generally results in retraining or reassessment of crews. Everything is done to avoid repetition.
Crucially, the results of investigations are publicly reported. (Our own Air Accident Investigation Unit reports – www.aaiu.ie – make enlightening reading for this student pilot.) No names are mentioned. The concern is to learn from mistakes.
Contrast this with road incidents. The focus is on emotions. The tragedy. The impact on families. The funerals. But little or nothing to learn from.
RM Block
Why not make road death reports available in a similar way? Remove names and locations. Just tell the public whether it was poor driving, walking while intoxicated, a badly laid-out junction, bald tyres, lack of a footpath, inadequate road surface, poor sightlines, device use, etc.
And implement corrective measures once that is known, just as air accidents do. Those involved – drivers, pedestrians, councils – could act; the rest of us could be better informed and perhaps recognise similar situations ourselves, before they happen.
Wouldn’t that boost prevention? – Yours, etc,
JOHN COLLINS,
Skeaghvasteen,
Co Kilkenny.
