The number of people killed on Irish roads could be reduced by up to 30% if new technology was installed in vehicles to make drivers obey speed limits.
Oliver Carsten, a professor of Transportation Safety in Leeds University, today told the cross border transport conference in Dundalk, Co Louth that the technology already exists which could reduce the number of fatalities.
He said that the introduction of speed limit indicators on satellite navigation systems could be used to warn motorists they are driving too fast in an area or actually slow the vehicle down itself.
The conference also heard from Steve Stradling, a professor of Transport Psychology from Napier University in Edinburgh, that parents need to be more active in teaching their children, particularly young men, how to drive.
He suggested that alcohol limits should be reduced or eliminated for new drivers and that those who are inexperienced should not be allowed carry passengers or drive late at night when, statistically, most young drivers are killed.
The conference, which has speakers from Ireland, the UK and Sweden, is being backed by the health services on both sides of the Irish border.
It is the first of its kind to deal specifically with the problems of young drivers.
