Crashed car plan to curb road deaths

Police are trying to reduce road deaths

The wreckages of crashed cars are to be placed along the main route from Northern Ireland to the Irish Republic in an attempt to reduce the number of fatal road accidents.

The cars will be placed beside the N1, which is the main Belfast to Dublin Road, following a rise in road deaths.

There were 415 people killed on roads in the Irish Republic last year, a slight increase from 1999.

The statistics were revealed after the roads in Northern Ireland claimed another life.

It is certainly a creative initiative and rather graphic

Connor Faughnan, AA

Barry Patrick McAnulty, 29, of Amakane Road in Camlough died after a road accident in south Armagh on Friday morning. It had involved a van and a lorry.

Meanwhile, it is likely that the crashed cars, which will not have been involved in fatal accidents, will be in place in two weeks.

A spokesman for the Irish police, the Garda Siochana said: "There will be old wrecks of cars placed on the roadside by the N1, the main Dublin to Belfast road.

"This will be accompanied by a garda checkpoint where we may be handing out leaflets.

"We will be publicising in advance the date when the wrecks will be put in place."

It is thought between eight and 10 cars will be used in the exercise.

Reduction in fatalities

The idea was the brainchild of traffic police in counties Louth and Meath after the number of road deaths in that area rose by 10 to 57 in 2000.

In comparison, many other regions saw a reduction in the number of fatalities.

The two counties accounted for 14% of Ireland's road deaths last year.

Road fatalities per capita are higher in the republic than in Northern Ireland and double the UK figures.

The move was welcomed by the AA as promoting safer driving in the Irish Republic.

AA spokesman Conor Faughnan said: "It is certainly a creative initiative, rather graphic and, I imagine, quite distressing to anyone who has been involved in a road accident or has lost a relative.

"But it is worthwhile helping people to think safety - it might do some good and we will support it."

He rejected the idea the tactic might instead distract drivers.