Tom Hayes (Tipperary South, Fine Gael)

I am relieved to have this opportunity to speak on this important motion. Watching the news, particularly at weekends, I am shocked by the considerable loss of life that occurs on our roads. As a country, we are failing to address the root causes of road accidents. That the number of fatalities increases every year is evidence of a major failure of the administration. More than 5,000 have died on Irish roads in the past decade, a significant number by any comparison.

To address a complex matter such as road deaths requires a multi-pronged strategy. The first issue to be addressed is the number of gardaí dedicated to the traffic corps. This must be allocated its full complement of staff immediately. In conversation, one will often hear a comment on the likelihood of getting caught driving slightly over the speed limit in zones of 50 miles per hour or 60 miles per hour. People should uphold the law but human nature sometimes goes against this. People need incentives to uphold the law and they must know that if they drink and drive, break the speed limit or rob a bank they will not escape punishment. This is the kernel of the problem.

I drive to Dublin most weeks, as many people do, and I am struck by the farcical state of the Dublin-Cork road. Part of the road is a dual carriageway, elsewhere there are single lane stretches where the speed limit is routinely broken. Approaching Dublin, traffic grinds to a halt first because of roadworks, then because of a never-ending rush hour. It is no wonder people are tempted to break speed limits when they reach a stretch of good road. The frustration they encounter on the road makes the journey extremely difficult for drivers. For this reason, speed cameras must be located at frequent intervals along this road. The purpose of these cameras must not be to catch people out but to warn them.

Other speakers referred to minor roads, a source of significant problems in this country. Local authorities have not addressed the problem of overgrowing hedges in the summertime that cause accidents on minor roads. In autumn, falling leaves make roads treacherous and local authorities make no effort to clean up such roads. An ever-increasing number of accidents occur on these roads.

While there are many issues to be addressed, an important one is the education of young people. People are driving a mechanically propelled vehicle, which can be extremely dangerous. The transition year in schools is an ideal opportunity for people to learn to handle mechanically propelled vehicles. Deputies from all sides of the House agree with this, yet nothing is done about it. I ask the Minister of State to consider transition year as an opportunity to educate younger people on this issue.

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