Peter Fitzpatrick (Louth, Independent) | Oireachtas source

As recently as five years ago, Ireland was being celebrated within the EU for its road safety. Yet, in 2024, it is on course to prove the most lethal for traffic fatalities in 15 years. An alarming trend is in the disproportionate number of young people aged between 16 to 25 years who are involved in road fatalities. Speeding and intoxicated drivers are contributing to dozens of fatalities each year. With the prevalence of smartphones and other devices, distracted driving has become a growing concern.

The forthcoming Road Traffic Bill aims to tackle issues such as speeding and driving while intoxicated by introducing a safer default speed limit on national secondary roads, local and rural roads and in built-up areas, introducing mandatory drug checks at collision scenes and reforming the penalty points systems to enable motorists to receive multiples sets of penalty points where multiple offences are committed. These measures are welcome.

However, enforcement stands as the linchpin in transforming the culture of dangerous driving. The number of road traffic policing units has fallen by more than 100 in less than two years. It is welcome that there is an allocation for the recruitment of 800 to 1,000 new gardaí in budget 2004. Also welcome is the announcement last week by the Garda Commissioner directing all uniformed gardaí to dedicate 30 minutes of each shift to road safety activities. This direction aims to increase Garda visibility and ensure compliance with road traffic legislation. By addressing these challenges head on, we can prevent further loss of life on Irish roads.

In addition to enforcement, reform of the driving test regime, investment in infrastructure improvements and the provision of crash data to local authorities are essential to improving our road safety efforts and the provision of target safety measures. We must invest in a more evidence-based approach to understanding problematic driving behaviour and must provide greater education through public awareness. Ongoing efforts in this regard are needed from all stakeholders, including Government agencies, law enforcement, road safety organisations, insurance companies and others.

I use the M1 motorway three or four times a week. In doing so, I take my life into my own hands. The majority of people using the motorway seem to have no patience. There certainly is not an adequate Garda presence on the road. It is very important that the Minister of State should push to have a greater number of gardaí patrolling it and more enforcement. I see a large number of people using their mobile telephones while driving on the motorway. That has become very common. There seems to be no fear factor for the motorists doing it.

The Minister of State is coming to my home town of Dundalk tomorrow, where he will see for himself the roads and junctions in the area. I hope he will give people there a first-hand look at what is planned for the area.

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