Áine Brady (Kildare North, Fianna Fail)

I welcome the opportunity to contribute to this road safety motion and I thank the Minister for sharing time. Road safety affects our lives on a daily basis. Whether we are bringing our children to school, commuting to work, driving to a social event or walking to our local shop, it is an issue that is rightly granted a high importance. In recent years, many road safety measures have been introduced and, despite the increased number of vehicles on our roads, we are making progress on reducing road deaths.

The Road Safety Authority, RSA, which is tasked with improving safety on roads and reducing deaths and injuries resulting from road collisions, came into existence in September 2006. On 10 October, the RSA stated that Ireland had improved its road safety standing in Europe. An objective of the RSA is to bring Ireland's road safety record into line with best practice of other countries throughout the world. This will only be achieved by co-operation with the many stakeholders working in the area of road safety, including the Garda, the education and health sectors, local authorities, the National Roads Authority, the media and the general public.

We are making progress. Since the introduction of mandatory alcohol testing, the doubling of penalties for drink driving offences, the computerisation of penalty points, the introduction of penalty points for mobile telephone offences and the establishment of the RSA there has been a 25% drop in deaths, which translates into 100 lives saved on our roads. To date this year 19 fewer fatalities occurred on our roads compared to the same date last year.

The national roads programme currently being rolled out by the National Roads Authority will bring significant benefits from a road safety perspective. The dual carriageway road design, which minimises the number of road intersection and crossovers, is a safer engineering design than the traditional single carriageway road design. When this road network is complete, further road safety benefits will emerge. However, while this is welcome news, we must also focus on other issues that help to improve our road safety culture. The inquest into the tragic death of the young mother, Kate Moyles, who worked in Sallins, noted that an improved warning system using variable message systems would add significantly to road safety.

I will mention other aspects I believe will be of benefit. A greater focus by local authorities on traffic calming measures adjacent to schools will provide many parents with the peace of mind that comes with knowing that their children will be in a safe environment. I have noticed in regard to many schools in County Kildare that greater emphasis is now being placed on highlighting road safety measures adjacent to schools. We must continue to improve in this area. I compliment Kildare County Council on the appointment of a full-time road safety officer, who is doing good work in terms of highlighting road safety issues in the county.

We can also improve our road safety culture through education in our schools. Many schools have ensured that road safety is covered in the curriculum to educate our young people on the risks and hazards associated with driving. Local authorities should ensure that driving schools are recognised as vital resources and included in some area development plans so that each county has at least one off-road complex for comprehensive driver training programmes. These driving schools would be an ideal location for transitional year students to get a full, practical and hands-on training in driving as part of a road safety and driving skills module. The schools could also be used to develop the skills of qualified drivers.

The road network is a vital part of our infrastructure and ensures we can move our goods and services and get to our places of work or play but, like many great assets, we must treat our roads with respect and realise that while they can bring much benefit, they can also bring heartache. Collectively, we can continue to make progress and I commend the amended motion to the house.

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