Oireachtas Joint and Select Committees

Wednesday, 22 March 2017

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport

Road Safety Strategy: Discussion (Resumed)

9:00 am

Mr. John Farrell:

Monitoring should be done by the RSA. Initially we will monitor and will give feedback as a cohort because there may be freedom and civil liberties issues. We will bring the details of each individual into a secure location and that cohort can be fed back to the RSA, for example, everybody speeds on a 50 km zone going into a certain town. The number of people using mobile phones while driving will be measured and fed back. This is voluntary. If a driver decides to take this course and to be monitored and does not adhere to best practice or improve, the driver will not get the two points back. The driver has to take the good with the bad, and if he or she does not abide by the rules of the road or drive according to best practice, he or she will retain penalty points.

There is a facility in each smartphone to show whether a person has pressed a button. Doing that would be a minus point. Insurance companies are using smartphone apps with individuals to get reduced premia. I have not asked but I have not read that the phone must be in a fixed position in the car. If it is in a pocket, a bag or the glove compartment, it moves with the driver. If the driver brakes hard, it will move, but I am not sure that it has to be in a fixed place.

What were the first two questions?

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