Niall Collins (Limerick West, Fianna Fail)

I welcome the opportunity to contribute to this important debate because it affects us all as road users, whether motorists, pedestrians, cyclists or people involved in road accidents. It is incumbent on all of us to strive to introduce new and amending legislation regularly to address the issues that arise relating to road safety. It is good to have a unanimous, cross-party approach on this rather than be seen to be divided on this important matter.

Ireland has improved its road safety standing in Europe according to a new report published by the European Transport Safety Council and has climbed four places in the past year to 12th of the 29 EU countries surveyed. The report also shows that road deaths in Ireland have dropped by 11% since 2001. It is a very positive report and shows that Ireland is making considerable progress in reducing road deaths. The report tracked Ireland's progress up to 31 December 2006 and the downward trend in road deaths has continued in 2007.

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 phone offences and the establishment of the Road Safety Authority there has been a 25% drop in deaths, which translates into 100 lives saved on our roads. There have been 19 fewer fatalities on our roads to date this year than to the same date in 2006.

The report acknowledges that road users in Ireland have changed their behaviour on the roads and this translates to lives saved and injuries prevented. Irish roads are safer and steadily improving.

We are discussing the introduction of mandatory alcohol testing but I driver behaviour is key to this issue. We must also consider public awareness campaigns because they are essential. Publicity campaigns are aimed at young drivers and in Hospital, in my home county of Limerick, the transition year students at John the Baptist community school have been very involved in promoting a road safety initiative. The students have named it the drive to stay alive road safety campaign and it could be replicated in every secondary school in the country. These are the drivers of the future and statistics show that young male drivers are involved in most fatal accidents. Public awareness campaigns promoted through schools and geared at those about to commence driving should be considered more. This could be achieved through road safety officers who work in local authorities because they track accidents, locations and statistics and have the systems to do so. We must bring local authorities into the debate in this regard.

I mentioned the example in Limerick because it has merit. I welcome the Minister's initiative to amend the legislation to allow for the compulsory roadside testing of drivers, subject to overriding medical circumstances. There will be some debate around what constitutes overriding medical circumstances and the relevant authorities that deal with accidents will have to use their judgment. More clarity is needed on this issue. Will the debate then move on to testing for drugs? This introduces new aspects to the debate because there is the issue of prescribed medicine and how it impacts on driver behaviour.

I welcome this debate and the announcement of the amendment to legislation.

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