None of this is my fault

I was down in Portarlington yesterday visiting some friends and two things struck me about the journey down from my home.

The first was how much the roads have improved, with motorway almost the entire length of the journey. That makes a big difference and really made the drive very straightforward.

The second was how stupid some people become when they get behind the wheel of a vehicle. I use the word stupid advisedly here because there is no other term for what I observed.

Winding unlit country roads, cold nights with temperatures close to zero Celsius and no ostensible need for anyone to rush anywhere. And pitch dark.

And what I encountered was idiots driving too close, too fast, and with no concern for anyone else's safety on the roads.

And then I saw this horrendous story and picture on the news this morning. Is it any wonder things like this happen?

It was the first day back to work after Christmas and New Year for many people. Maybe this could be offered as some kind of excuse for all the rushing about and unthinking driving behaviour.

I'm not the first to write about this worst of Irish behaviour and surely won't be the last. This kind of outcome is tragic.

But for most they fail to connect their own behaviour behind the wheel with stories like this. A terrible start to the new year for this horrendous aspect of modern Irish life.