Bernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael)

I welcome the Bill and support the comments by my colleague. Generally, when dealing with legislation of this nature, one must review the success to date, the intentions of the Bill and its likely success. As Deputy Neville said, there has been considerable progress in reducing the number of fatal road traffic accidents over recent years. That is the result of a number of measures that were taken.

First, the improvement in some, although not all, roads, especially the national primary routes, has helped. A general improvement over the last 20 years in the quality of motor vehicles on the road has also helped. To some extent, too, there has been a general improvement in road manners and tolerance of others on the road. However, there are still a number of motorists who should take time out and calm down, as I noticed this morning. I became conscious of the loud revving of a large engine behind my car. As it was a high, very large container vehicle, I was able to see in the mirror that the driver was reading a newspaper. Obviously, when the traffic lights changed and the traffic stopped, he was obliged to stop far more suddenly than other motorists. I have his registration number, even if he might not know it. A little courtesy on the roads is no harm. If someone makes a mistake or a pedestrian steps out in front of the vehicle, it is not necessary to drive over them. One must concede and be careful at all times. Generally, however, there has been an improvement in road manners and tolerance on the roads.

I also spoke when the original Bill was before the House. Of course, someone who is over the alcohol limit must have consideration for other users of the road. It is also not necessary to drive at the speed limit all the time. Furthermore, if one does happen to be driving at the speed limit and overtaking another car, there is no necessity for the driver behind to get almost into the car exhaust with a view to getting ahead of one or the car that is in front. I do not understand why that occurs, but it regularly does.

I draw the Minister's attention to the fact that there appears to be an increasing number of traffic accidents on the motorway I use, the M4, as it approaches the city. The speed limit is 80 km/h for most of the way until one gets onto the motorway, where there is the standard speed limit. Usually, there are not many incidents on the motorways and I wonder why this is happening now. I believe it is due to bad driver practice at lane changing. The more lane changes a driver does, the greater the likelihood of making a mistake or not seeing on time a mistake being made by someone else. Has any research been carried out with a view to identifying the cause of these accidents on motorways?

Women drivers tell me that some motorists have a low tolerance of women drivers. They tend to tailgate, thereby intimidating the female driver. I do not know how prevalent that is but it should not be allowed to happen. That type of bullying is unacceptable.

The other issue is the value of the national car test, NCT, which we discussed some time ago. An NCT should not wreck the motor vehicle. It is that simple. When the NCT was introduced, it appeared that the vehicle would not survive it, and in some cases it did not. This is a mechanical issue. Some of us have knowledge of that area to a greater or lesser extent for all sorts of compelling reasons. Care should be taken to ensure the vehicle is mechanically sound.

I do not believe reference to the vehicle's age is as necessary as some believe. A ten year old vehicle with very little mileage can be as good as a three year old vehicle with a lot of mileage. As people in this business should know, the mileage travelled by commercial travellers, doctors, veterinarians and Members of the Houses of the Oireachtas is far more than that of most normal domestic motorists. That has an effect on the vehicle concerned. The NCTs must have some degree of integrity. The same applies to the Department of the Environment, Community and Local Government, DOE, tests for commercial vehicles.

I have brought to the attention of the House previously that it is very important the DOE and the NCT are carried out methodically and with particular reference to the issues which have a direct impact on the safety of the vehicle, the driver and other drivers using the road.

I mentioned consideration for others and road courtesy. There is still some scope for that. For example, one should look carefully at the way some people use roundabouts. The idea seems to be to get a good run at the roundabout from a distance away, to intimidate anybody who happens to be on it and having got on to the roundabout, to overtake on the left or the right, whichever offers the greatest opportunity, in a mad rush to get around the next corner or whatever. I cannot understand that. The law should prohibit overtaking on a roundabout. There is no necessity for it. The purpose of a roundabout is to keep the traffic moving and not necessarily to keep it moving at a particular speed or to get the individual who wants to get somewhere at a particular time there on time even though he or she might not have left on time.

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