Tom Hayes (Tipperary South, Fine Gael)

I welcome the opportunity to say a few words on this very important Bill. Road safety is a key concern of everybody, as it should be. The carnage on our roads must be tackled urgently. Almost every year the number of road traffic fatalities increases. In 2004, 379 people were killed on our roads, an increase of 34 victims compared to the previous year. In the past decade, 5,000 people have lost their lives on our roads. Road traffic accidents leave their mark on families and communities. The community in which an accident takes place is also affected.

A substantial number of people have already lost their lives on our roads this year. In many cases, the reason for the accidents related to the condition of the roads. Poor surface is an urgent issue and the quality of national primary roads leaves much to be desired. Potholes, dangerous bends, temporary traffic lights, and gridlocked traffic, coming into small towns and villages give the illusion that one could not possibly be on a main road in one of the wealthiest states in the world. It is shocking that road users are expected to tolerate these deplorable conditions.

Poor signage is also a serious problem. This week I received several complaints about drivers going in the wrong direction around a roundabout outside Cashel, which only opened late last year, because the signage is so confusing. Signs are supposed to help motorists not confuse them and lead them into potentially life threatening driving errors yet this is what often happens. It is incumbent on the Department of Transport to ensure road signage is plentiful, helpful and clear. Signage has not improved, particularly on smaller country roads. In fact, it has disimproved in recent years. This matter must be addressed urgently by whoever is responsible, local authorities or the Department of Transport.

It is obvious the Government will not tackle in a hurry the deplorable state of our roads. Therefore, it is critical that the drivers on our roads have sufficient skills to handle what generally amounts to bad driving conditions. As driver error is the main cause of most accidents we must move urgently to upskill our drivers. Young people in particular must be targeted in this context. We are all aware of the sense of jubilation with which young people drive cars. They are convinced they will be able to brake if necessary and they enjoy the thrills of travelling at high speeds. Tragically, reckless behaviour often has grave consequences.

The majority of people now choose to drive and it makes sense for aspects of driving to be addressed in second level schools. Driving theory and an adequate understanding of the cause of road accidents, and the consequences of speeding, drink driving and so forth should be included in second level education. Respect for vehicles, cars, motorbikes, trucks or tractors, is a lesson that must be learned early. Young people do not understand how powerful those machines are and how they are capable of inflicting great damage and loss of life if not treated with the caution and respect they deserve. Such matters must be understood from the start not learned the hard way, as happens with so many young people and their families.

Teachers are the best people to communicate with young people on driving safety. Transition year would be an ideal time to teach young people about driving skills, its responsibilities and the consequences of careless driving. This would be an ideal opportunity for young people in rural and urban areas to learn this life skill. I often observe leaving certificate students driving to school in their parent's cars. Transition year would provide an ideal opportunity for young people to learn driving.

The long waiting lists for driving tests adds to the problem. It is possible to drive for up to five years on most roads in Ireland without having to sit a test. When a responsible young person chooses to sit a test he or she can be left waiting for up to a year in most cases. In Clonmel, for instance, the waiting period for a driving test is 53 weeks. The driving test centre in my constituency in Tipperary town is slightly better at 51 weeks. Constituents contact me every week of the year looking for their driving tests to be expedited, as in many cases it is required for their work. This is a deplorable situation. I commend the people involved in driving test centres for their courtesy at all times. The waiting time for driving tests must be improved.

Many people are put off sitting their driving test sooner rather than later because they have heard stories of friends and acquaintances who failed the test for simple reasons. A learner driver should only fail a test if he or she is deemed unfit to drive. The aim of the tester should not be to catch the learner driver out on a technicality. There is a clear need to ensure that all testers are trained to an appropriate standard and to implement common testing standards across the country. Ongoing supervision and quality control of driving testing is essential.

The number of cars on our roads and the technical nature of our testing system often necessitate driving lessons from a qualified instructor. Lessons are normally sought when the long wait for a driving test is finally coming to an end rather than before an individual starts driving on the roads, which would be far more logical. The cost of driving lessons may contribute to this. Many young people struggle to afford steep insurance premiums and only fork out money for expensive driving lessons from a professional instructor when they really need to. This should not be the case. Driving lessons should be affordable, particularly for those driving for the first time. They should be the first resort of the learner driver rather than the last. The Department of Transport should examine seriously the possibility of introducing more affordable driving instruction for younger drivers. The possibility of incorporating a requirement to take one or two affordable driving lessons into the conditions for receiving one's first provisional licence is worth considering.

Our speeding laws are almost laughable. As a regular traveller from County Tipperary to Dublin, I note that I am frequently overtaken by cars travelling well in excess of the speed limit. Many fail to slow down when passing through villages and towns. I often wonder how anybody living along routes such as that between Dublin and Cork manages to cross the road.

There are other anomalies to be considered. As I travelled to the Munster hurling final in Cork last Sunday, I was amazed by the number of motorists pulled over by gardaí. Motorists actually believe the road into Cork is a motorway. There is a dual carriageway with a wide strip in the middle and motorists are certainly confused. I know of one who was pulled over and told by a garda while travelling to the match on Sunday that the road was causing considerable confusion. Motorists do not know the correct speed limit and are driving according to a higher one.

The issue of speed limits needs to be addressed. Changes should be marked clearly. The next time the Minister of State is travelling to Cork, he should look——

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