Catherine Murphy (Kildare North, Independent) | Oireachtas source

I thank Deputy Dooley for bringing this Bill before the House and commend the Minister, Deputy Varadkar, on his acceptance in principle of the Bill. I hope it will proceed at an early stage to Committee Stage and that it, like future legislation introduced on Fridays by Opposition or Government backbenchers, will become law. While it is the wish of Members who avail of the Friday sittings to introduce Bills that this be the case, there has been little progress in this regard.

The Minister is correct that road safety is not an issue that should divide us. I was not aware until I read the Bill of this gap in the law, which the Minister articulated well in his contribution. I had always assumed that a person should not leave the scene of an accident, particularly an accident in which someone is injured, and that we were fully covered in this regard in terms of law. We would all agree it is important we do not provide in legislation for things that would cause problems in the future. The last thing we want to do is create loopholes in legislation, particularly in the area of intoxication, which will leave it open to challenges in the courts. In this regard, any proposed amendments will be important.

As has been said, the enactment of laws in this area is not sufficient. We need also to address issues such as culture, Garda resources and enforcement. We need to get this package right if we are to deal with the issue in a comprehensive manner. Some months ago, the Road Safety Authority was critical of the Minister for Justice and Equality, Deputy Shatter, with regard to Garda strength and, in particular, the strength of the traffic corps. There is a valid criticism there about the level below which Garda numbers cannot be allowed to fall. There is no point in our making good laws if the resources are not available to enforce them.

The phrase "Lies, damned lies and statistics" is often used. In areas where there is a low ratio of gardaí per head of population the number of recorded incidents that require detection on site - including, for example, road traffic offences - will be low. If we do not have sufficient gardaí, checkpoints cannot be put in place, resulting in lower crime statistics than would otherwise be the case. The number and positioning of gardaí is critically important if we are to maintain the significant improvement in road safety in Ireland. In 2012, road deaths in Ireland decreased by 12%, which compares well with the EU average of 9%.

Road conditions also play a part in road safety. The initiative taken earlier this week in regard to proposed changes in road speed limits, particularly on rural roads, is to be welcomed. I was a member of a town council when the decision was made to introduce speed limit signs nationally, at which time many members were questioning the decision to erect 80 km/h speed limit signs on rural roads because they believed drivers would assume that was the speed at which they were required to drive. This issue was raised in every council chamber around the country at that time. Ordinary people who are not experts, councillors or politicians are not always wrong. It is ridiculous to see an 80 km/h speed limit sign displayed on little boreens and the same speed limit sign displayed on larger roads such as that between the Red Cow roundabout and Kildare county boundary. I have reviewed the statistics for one year with regard to the roads on which people were caught speeding and acquired penalty points. The road on which one is most likely to be detected driving above the speed limit and acquire penalty points is that between the Red Cow roundabout and Kildare county boundary, which is the widest road in the country. The lower speed limit applies on this road because it is not a motorway. We need to question some of the decisions that may result in a reversal of improvements made in the area of road safety. However, I welcome the fact that a more sensible approach to the setting of speed limits is to be taken.

Accidents on our roads that result in fatalities destroy families. Where a person who is injured is left at the scene without regard for his or her well-being, this inflicts great injury on the family. There are also significant costs in this regard in monetary terms. The agency responsible for road safety prior to the Road Safety Authority carried out a cost-benefit analysis with regard to fatalities, because there was a need to put a monetary cost on this to enable the value of different road safety initiatives to be measured. The monetary value of each fatality was estimated in the late 1990s to be €1 million. Many people involved in accidents sustain life-changing injuries in respect of which they often require rehabilitation.

There are a suite of things that we need to get right in this area, including better laws, enforcement of penalty points, and road conditions, including signage. We must also ensure we address accident black spots. In this regard, the mapping of accidents in particular areas, as carried out by the Road Safety Authority, is useful.

I welcome the Bill and the approach being taken to it. I look forward to the enactment of this legislation, which is being introduced during a Friday sitting.

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