Johnny Brady (Meath, Fianna Fail)

This Bill clearly shows the commitment of the Government to dealing with the scourge of road deaths. Dealing with road accidents cannot be seen purely as the remit of the Government. It is up to all of us to address this scourge as quickly as possible. The Bill outlines the statutory background to a range of specific measures set out in the road safety strategy 2004-06 and it is very welcome.

The best experts have been available to us to try to devise strategies that will reduce road deaths. Some commentators have tried to corral the Government into making quick decisions on the enactment of legislation. However, if Members have learned anything from the past, it is that rushed legislation never provides the best framework for a comprehensive approach to dealing with any matter, including road deaths. This is why I believe the background work that has been carried out and the comparisons with other jurisdictions in terms of how they have handled this problem will provide a meaningful and comprehensive set of measures that will address the problem of road deaths.

While it is the remit of Government to enact legislation to set out proper guidelines for behaviour on the roads, it is up to all road users to play their part. All citizens have a responsibility to look upon road travel as a privilege rather than a right. In this way, they will be obliged to utilise the road in a way that is safe not just for themselves but for others. The legislation is of the utmost importance. It has been claimed that it has taken a year to get to this stage, which is due to the reasons outlined. One must put in place a comprehensive package of measures.

In my short time in the House, the issue of road safety has been a topic which has been discussed more frequently than many others. There is a good reason Members have debated this matter so often. This is a critical national issue which is being discussed in every parish and community. The matter is of concern to everyone because all either know or are related to someone who has been involved in a serious accident in recent years. From the outset, the Minister has shown a willingness and desire to tackle the scourge of road deaths. He has outlined his approach to the House on many occasions.

While much of the publicity tends to focus on road deaths, the serious injuries that occur in road accidents are also a major cause of concern. Many people have been maimed for life as a result of road accidents and some are confined to wheelchairs in hospitals or other institutions. Their lives have been destroyed.

It is of critical importance to adopt a united approach to putting in place a culture that does not accept the present level of death and destruction on the roads. The legislation will be helpful in contributing to this in terms of its carrot and stick approach. People must be encouraged to be more responsible on the road while putting in place measures which will penalise those who show scant regard for their lives and those of others.

It is important to view the issue of road deaths in the context of the greater number of cars on the road. If one examines the period in which the Government has addressed this matter, the number of road deaths has decreased. In the past year, there has been a blip in the pattern which some have suggested was due to a lack of conviction or work on the part of the Garda in terms of finding law breakers.

Any attempt to change society must address attitudes and culture. Some people have little regard for road usage. An interdepartmental task force was mentioned. Perhaps the Minister will refer to it and its level of development when he concludes. The task force would bring together the Department of Transport and the Department of Education and Science, which has made initial comments on what it proposes to do in respect of educating young people on road usage as part of the curriculum at secondary cycle.

The leaving certificate examination season is drawing to a close and, while many young people have focused on it as a major element in their lives, it will become secondary for those who go to college during the coming years. A significant decision in their lives will be to find jobs, a by-product of which will be the requirement to have cars. In this day and age, there is nothing more important than educating young people in such a way that they have respect for the privilege of road usage.

In this Bill and other legislation, the Minister has outlined the updating of the penalty points system, to which I have given a cautious welcome. From the outset, I signalled my opposition to the overuse of penalty points as a deterrent. In their early stages, they were effective in identifying a number of key road safety factors and ensuring the stick element of the carrot and stick approach worked. However, the system loses its impact if there are penalty points for too many offences.

People have spoken about getting penalty points for turning right on a main road, driving in the wrong lane or crossing a lane. These provisions take the matter too far and have the potential to lose the public's enthusiasm. If the system is restricted to the main problems of speeding, drink driving — which is covered in terms of disqualification — seat belt wearing and general disregard for the lives of others through dangerous driving, it will keep the focus on penalty points and, through their use and punishments, derive the anticipated benefits.

I recognise the difficulties experienced by the Minister and his officials in trying to draft legislation that takes account of the changes in the communications infrastructure, that is, the penalty points associated with the use of mobile telephones. Like other Members, I am on the road regularly. Members travel continually, by day and by night, and have all encountered or experienced dangerous driving. All have experienced the misuse of mobile telephones.

One morning, on my way to the House, as I passed through the M50 roundabout at Blanchardstown, I saw a woman with four or five children in her car. She held her telephone to her ear with one hand and had a cigarette in her mouth, while her other hand was on the steering wheel. This was dangerous to the woman, her children and other travellers. I walked to here from the Department of Foreign Affairs one morning and saw a chap on a bicycle with a child aged four or five on the crossbar. He had one hand on the bike and held a mobile phone in the other. We see lorry and bus drivers driving through our towns and villages. One day I met a cattle lorry with a trailer, the driver of which had one hand on the steering wheel and held a mobile phone in the other. I am sure my colleague the Minister of State, Deputy Mary Wallace, will convey to the Minister that the use of mobile phones while driving is causing a serious threat to road users. I am glad this issue has been tackled at last.

We also know the problems with which Northern Irish drivers on our roads confront us. The Minister of State, Deputy Wallace, Deputy English and I all travel the M3 at our normal speed and see these people overtaking at great speed. I hope Ministers here and in Northern Ireland can come together and ensure Northern Irish drivers and drivers from the Republic are penalised on the same terms.

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