Sean Barrett (Independent) | Oireachtas source

I thank the Chairman and welcome the visitors. It was not today or yesterday that Mr. Conor Faughnan started to address this issue. I thank Mr. Noel Brett for his presentation and the invitation to visit the Road Safety Authority in Ballina. On page 3 of his presentation he stated that Sweden is the safest place but according to page 11 it does not have GPS. How is it that Sweden got to be the safest place by doing things differently? Would its experience be of value to us?

In the first six months of the year there was an increase in the number of road deaths. We raised the issue with the Leader in the Seanad and he was to contact the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport, Deputy Varadkar.

I was seriously concerned that the improvements made over 20 to 25 years had been reversed. It seems that the number has flattened again, so were July and August particularly good? It is important for us to know the up-to-date figure for 2012. We can take laps of honour for the great improvement made previously but I am concerned that a very good trend has been reversed.

Deputy Dooley made a point about learner drivers. I think they give a "Harvey Smith" sign to everybody when they drive on motorways. As one enters a motorway a sign will state "no L drivers". Such drivers are nearly as dangerous as people who use their mobile phones while driving. Why are there no penalty points for such a blatant breach of the law? When we discussed the latest full-year data in the Seanad we found that the counties of Donegal and Cavan had road deaths that were out of proportion with their populations. We wondered, as Deputy Ellis suggested, whether two links could be made between the PSNI and the Garda in Derry and Donegal and Fermanagh and Cavan. There is evidence of a bad safety record in at least two of the Border counties.

Another issue that I wish to raise is vehicle immobilisation. Paddy Matthews owns a bus company in Inniskeen, County Monaghan, and he has fitted an alcohol-activated vehicle immobiliser in his fleet of buses. Now there is no danger of an incompetent or incapable driver driving his buses. Some 10% of the population still do not wear seatbelts. It has proven difficult to increase the 90% usage figure. Should we enforce usage measures? Could we introduce systems to prevent drink driving and insist on seatbelt usage? Vehicle immobilisation systems can recognise unusual obstacles and ensures that vehicles will stop if another vehicle, tree or pole blocks its path. It is well worth considering importing some of that technology from countries where cars and motor vehicles are made as we try to move on to the next stage of road safety.

I wish to ask our visitors about drugs and driving again. How good is the drug detection system? I thank the delegations and I hope that we will continue this dialogue. I hope that the number of road death fatalities did not change for the worse in the first six months of this year.