Robert Dowds (Dublin Mid West, Labour)

I give my broad support to the Road Traffic (No. 2) Bill. Clearly, it is very important to support a measure that will help to reduce the number of fatalities on Irish roads and bring other improvements.

There are very few ways in which I am happy with the actions of the previous Government but it deserves some credit for the fact that there has been a 48% decline in the number of road deaths between 2001 and 2010, although, at 212 last year, that is still 212 too many. The extent of the anguish, pain and heartbreak for families is difficult to appreciate and the effects last for years. I looked at a report recently from Australia which indicated that going from a level of 80 mg of alcohol per 100 ml of blood to 50 mg led to significant reductions in fatal accidents in that country, ranging from 18% in Queensland to 8% in New South Wales. For that reason it is essential to support this proposal.

I support the 20 mg per 100 ml level for learner drivers but I ask the Minister to examine that limit in regard to professional drivers. The same limits should apply to professional drivers as apply to drivers in general. If it is safe for a non-professional driver to have 50 mg in his or her blood, the same should be the case where professional drivers are concerned. If the Minister ends by disagreeing with me on this point, I ask that he goes for a consistent position, even if it means having a general 20 mg limit.

I support this legislation as it relates to dangerously defective vehicles. I sound a note of caution because I am conscious that people who drive defective vehicles often do so owing to poverty. For that reason it is important to keep the costs for such drivers as low as possible, especially if they live in rural areas. Specifically, it is important that the price of the national car test, NCT, be kept as low as possible. It would be helpful if NCT centres brought people back only if something requires to be fixed which would have a definite impact on road safety. Sometimes cars can be brought back for trivial points that do not have such an impact. I fully support the NCT in insisting that a vehicle returns if the matter concerns road safety.

For this legislation to work it is important that two actions are taken. The first is obvious to everyone, namely, Garda enforcement. If that is not done regularly, especially at the beginning, people will take chances and the value and effectiveness of the legislation will be undermined. The second is also important. If the acceptable blood-alcohol limit is to be no more than 50 mg per 100 ml of blood it is vital that people are educated about how much they can safely drink.

See this speech in context