'Time to stamp out this grotesque practice': Call for ban on people sharing images of collisions 

NEWLY-ELECTED Labour councillor Peter Horgan has called for a ban on people recording video and taking pictures of victims of road traffic incidents.

Mr Horgan, a councillor for the Cork City South East Ward, told The Echo: It’s time to stamp out the grotesque practice of recording or sharing images taken at the scene of a road accident.”

The Labour Party’s ‘Protection of Accident Victims from Non-Consensual Recording of Images Bill 2022’ was drafted in response to the distressing phenomena of images of road traffic accident victims being shared online.

Mr Horgan engaged with transport spokesperson Duncan Smith TD on the legislations over the last few months. The bill was debated in the Dáil last week and passed second stage, but Mr Horgan said faster enactment is needed.

Mr Horgan said: “2024 has been a dark year on our roads. Too many lives have been lost and I would urge all road users to take extra care on the roads, to reduce their speed, to avoid distractions like phone use, and to never, ever drink and drive.”

He continued: “The cold hard reality is that there are between 150 and 200 road fatalities and approximately 8,000 injuries due to road traffic collisions every year.

“There is hardly a person in this country that hasn’t had either direct or indirect experience of a serious car accident resulting in death or serious injury within their family, circle of friends or community. Cork is no different unfortunately.

“The posting and sharing of images taken by those who come upon the scene of an accident has become all too common.

“The fact that family members and friends can be exposed to such harmful and grotesque images before they have even learned of the accident is unforgivable,” he said.

“It is deeply disrespectful and distressing intrusion into private grief that must be outlawed.”

An Garda Síochána frequently issue requests in the immediate aftermath of a serious accident for people not to share these images.

After an incident in Cork in April, gardaí said in a statement that they were “aware that there are images related to this serious road traffic collision in circulation,” asking “out of respect for those involved, please do not forward or share.”

Mr Horgan concluded, “It’s time to stamp out this indecent and insensitive practice to protect all those left behind following the devastation of a death on the roads and while it is welcome it has passed second stage, we need faster enactment.”