Peter Fitzpatrick (Louth, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

The Road Traffic (No. 2) Bill 2013 aims to improve road safety. It allows for blood to be taken from an incapacitated driver following a collision. It introduces preliminary impairment testing to better identify and stop drug-taking drivers. The Bill introduces a low disqualification limit for learners and novice drivers and makes other changes to the current road traffic laws. There has been a 65.7% fall in road deaths in Ireland between 1997 and 2012 which has been attributed to a significant improvement in compliance by road users with the law on the main collision causation factors such as seat-belt wearing, speeding and alcohol-related offences. Better driver behaviour has also been attributed to Garda visibility.

These changes came about through successive Bills, dealing with permissible levels of alcohol, penalty point sanctions for risk-taking behaviour, vehicle testing and vehicle safety. However, 2013 is proving to be an anomaly in terms of road safety. As of 12 August 2013, 118 people had lost their lives on Irish roads, an increase of seven on the corresponding date in 2012. The Garda Síochána points out that, as happened last year, a significant number of people killed were not wearing a seat belt. This was the case for 13% of vehicle occupants this year, drivers and passengers. A total of 80% of collisions occur on roads where the speed limit is 80 km/h or above. Drivers aged from 21 to 25 remain the group of drivers in which there is the highest number of road deaths.

Just over half of the fatal collisions, 56%, involved a single vehicle, usually due to loss of control and collision with a roadside object such as a tree, ditch, fence, wall, etc. The majority of fatal collisions, approximately 63%, occur on local and regional roads outside built-up areas. To date in 2013, more fatal collisions have occurred on Friday afternoon and evening than at any other time. Figures for road traffic incidents recorded by the Garda as of 31 July 2013 are: driving while intoxicated, 4,542; mandatory alcohol testing checkpoints, 42,915; total breath tests at checkpoints, 249,793; dangerous driving, 1,766; and section 41 detention of vehicles, 11,786. Figures for fixed charge incidents as of 30 June 2013 were: speeding, 95,820, and not wearing a seat belt, 5,974.

On foot of a review of the penalty points system in 2012 and the comments on the review by the Oireachtas Joint Committee on Transport and Communications, several adjustments are being made to the penalty points regime, such as introducing ten new penalty points offences, penalty points on payment of a fixed charge for two offences, raised penalty points on payment of fixed charges in respect of 18 offences and raised penalty points on conviction in respect of 16 offences. The Road Traffic (No. 2) Bill 2013 aims to contribute further to road safety through allowing for the taking of a blood specimen from an incapacitated driver following a collision where the treating doctor does not consider it prejudicial to the health of the person. The sample can be taken without permission of the incapacitated person but permission must be given before the sample can be tested.

Setting a lower disqualification threshold for novice and learner drivers means that they will be disqualified from driving after acquiring six penalty points. This measure aims to ensure that these drivers do not engage in risk-taking behaviour. Allowing for intoxication impairment testing by the Garda Síochána in order to determine more easily whether a person is impaired by taking alcohol or drugs and introducing penalty points for a range of offences such as not displaying an “N” plate or a tabard as required. It also increases points for some existing offences such as speeding, using a mobile telephone while driving and for not wearing a seat belt.

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