Damien English (Meath West, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I welcome the opportunity to speak on the Road Traffic Bill 2013. Yesterday we discussed the Freedom of Information Bill 2013, which attempts to restore the pre-2003 position. The Bill before us now reminds me of my early days in this House in 2002 and, prior to that, with Meath County Council, when road safety was a major issue. Unlike the Freedom of Information Bill, we are not seeking with this Bill to return to the old days of the 1990s and the 2000s. Indeed, 2001 was one of the worst years ever for road deaths, with 415 people killed. That is 415 fewer mothers, fathers, sons or daughters, friends, neighbours, work colleagues and so on - so many lives lost needlessly. Last year, 161 people were killed on our roads. While that figure is still far too high, it also represents 254 fewer wakes, funerals and empty chairs at dinner tables from that awful high of 2001. We cannot slip back to those figures.

One of the issues that interested me most in 2001 when I was first elected as a councillor was road safety. Road deaths disproportionately affected my peer group at that stage - those in their late teens and early twenties. Sadly, that remains the case. We have not changed the percentages in that regard. The high insurance premiums also affected young men greatly.

Much progress has been achieved but we cannot rest on our laurels. Lives are still being lost and deaths are occurring that are preventable. We talk a lot about accidents in the context of road safety. However, I believe that in the majority of cases, we should be referring to incidents. Incidents are preventable and happen when people make mistakes or do something wrong. Accidents are often an act of God and are not preventable. We must remind ourselves of the fact that most road incidents are preventable.

We must always remember that a car handled poorly or with a lapse of concentration is a lethal weapon. In that context, I believe we may have to strengthen our laws, because if one drives a car under the influence of drink or drugs, one is, in my view, attempting murder. The vehicle in that scenario is a weapon. This Bill goes a long way to reinforce that point but if we cannot get the message through to people, we will have to introduce even stronger measures in order that people will realise the consequences of their actions. If they are drink driving or driving under the influence of drugs they are, literally, attempting murder. That is what they are doing.

The attitude to driving of many people in this country is that they have a right to drive and were born with that right. That is not correct. It is not a right but a privilege to be allowed to drive on our roads and we must get that message across. In the context of road safety, young people in particular think an accident will never happen to them, but it can happen to any of us. The national lottery advertisement campaign is relevant in this regard. That campaign works well because it convinces us that we could win the lotto. The slogan "It could be you" works, which is why hundreds of thousands of people buy lottery tickets. The flip side of that is the fact that we do not believe that something bad can happen to us. We must convince young drivers at an early stage that it might just happen to them. They might go around a corner and meet an articulated lorry on the wrong side of the road. They might skid on water or ice. It might just happen to them. The attitude must change. Even with the best of legislation and road engineering, we must continually work on the education of drivers and on changing attitudes. If one sits by the side of the road for any length of time and watches what is going on, one is amazed that there are not far more road accidents. It is amazing that the number of road deaths last year was 161, given what goes on the roads.

I referred to the importance of road safety in my speech on the passage of the Non-Use of Motor Vehicles Act 2013 in April of this year. The clampdown on non-verification of the off-the-road status of vehicles may yield anything from €50 million to €75 million. This revenue is to be welcomed and I urge the Minister to ensure that as much as possible of this new motor tax windfall goes into the continued promotion of road safety, thus backing up what he is trying to do with this legislation. I know that other Ministers will want to get their hands on that money too, but nevertheless there is extra money available because of the closing of a loophole in the law. The long queues that we saw recently outside various motor tax offices simply proved that there was a problem with off-the-road declarations. There was a panic in the last few weeks with people trying to get this sorted out. This proves that the Non-Use of Motor Vehicles Act 2013 was correct and that reform should have been introduced a long time ago. We are making progress but we should make sure we spend that additional money wisely. Some of it should be used for road safety measures to back up this legislation and the ongoing work of local authorities.

The scenario that followed the passage of the Non-Use of Motor Vehicles Act brings to mind a very Irish attitude - namely, that laws affect others and not one's self. It also reflects another particularly Irish attitude to new laws - namely, that they will not be enforced. The rush indicated that people thought the law would not be implemented, but it was. If one went to a motor tax office three or four weeks ago, one would have been in and out in ten minutes. In the last week, when people finally realised it was going to happen, there were massive queues. People always assume that laws will not be passed or will not be enforced. Things must change in this country. People must realise that new laws will be introduced, passed and enforced. That message must go out loud and clear. In fairness to the Minister, when it comes to road safety, that is the message he is putting out. The Irish attitude to the law must change because generally, laws are for our own good. Laws are passed to protect us and those around us.

For too long we have grappled with the stumbling blocks of drink driving, penalty points and seatbelt use. Progress has been slow and people are slow to change. People resist change but when change does happen, through strong leadership from Government and with proper explanations from Ministers of the issues at stake, we see very quick cultural shifts. We saw that with the plastic bag levy and the smoking ban. We have a very strong Minister in the Department of Transport, Tourism and Sport who is prepared to lead and pass the necessary laws. The people will follow but it is so important that we explain why we are introducing new laws. In terms of road safety, it is quite straightforward - we want to protect lives.

I have been involved in road safety campaigns for many years, as have many of my colleagues, some of whom are sadly no longer with us. I welcome this Bill as another progressive step forward, especially in the area of driving under the influence of drugs. That is an issue that scares everybody, and the situation is very serious. Many of the provisions of this Bill have been called for by road safety campaigners, professional driving instructors and bereaved families for the last ten years or more. Sadly, it has taken time for it to happen, but I commend the Minister for listening to their concerns and acting upon them in the first half of this Government's term. The provision of more details on the novice class of driver, with lower alcohol limits allowed and now a lower disqualification limit for penalty points, is very welcome. It represents common sense and reflects the reality that good driving habits require practice and time. There is a difference between knowledge and wisdom. One can obtain knowledge from lessons and one can pass one's driving test but wisdom can only come from several years of driving under the many varied conditions drivers face on the road. Every day we learn more about how to handle our own cars.

In the time remaining, I wish to raise one other road safety issue relating to some of our national roads on which schools are located.

In recent years many schools have developed proper safety mechanisms to deal with traffic. Rathmore national school on the N51 serves a large number of students who are dropped off there by parents in their cars. A large volume of traffic builds up in the morning and evening. It is an accident waiting to happen. However, as responsibility falls to various Departments and councils, this matter will not be tackled. A plan must be put in place to deal with road safety at schools on main roads. It is a cross-departmental issue but should be led by the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport. While we can enforce all the road safety laws we want, we also need to work on driver attitudes from an early stage.

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