Dan Neville (Limerick, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I welcome the Bill and congratulate the Road Safety Authority's initiative and the work it has done since its foundation. The number of road deaths and injuries has fallen but, of course, one road death or injury is one too many.

The Bill has wide implications and allows for blood to taken from an incapacitated driver following a collision. It introduces preliminary impairment testing to better identify and stop drug driving. Alcohol and drug abuse have serious implications for driving, so any measures that could control that situation are to be welcomed.

I am sure that such measures will be carried out with sympathy and understanding for people who may be injured or otherwise incapacitated as a result of road accidents. It is necessary to do so, however, and the measure is welcome. The Bill will introduce a lower disqualification limit for learner and novice drivers and makes other changes to road traffic law.

Friday afternoons and evenings are the worst times for fatal collisions. Drivers account for the majority of those killed on the roads - 61 people so far this year, which is 52% of those killed. Young drivers aged 21 to 25 are the single highest group involved in road deaths, so targeting this area will hopefully have a significant effect.

The majority of serious road accidents, with multiple deaths, usually occur late at night or early in the morning and involve younger drivers. In County Donegal, we have seen serious road accidents occurring so it is important to target that area. Regrettably, the 2013 rate of road deaths and injuries looks set to be higher than last year's when 162 people died on our roads. By August, seven more people had lost their lives but the number has increased since then.

Nevertheless, significant progress has been achieved since Ireland first began to pursue a strategic approach to road safety in 1998. From 1997 to 2012, road deaths decreased by almost 66%. Ireland is now the fifth safest country in the EU for road collision fatalities per million of population. That is the case despite a significant increase in the number of cars on our roads.

I am concerned about the slow progress of the Adare by-pass. I have discussed the matter with the Minister, Deputy Varadkar, on numerous occasions and I know he is sympathetic to the issue. Progressing that project is necessary for people travelling west of Limerick City. It would also enhance Adare's tourist potential. Many commuters travel through Adare to and from work in Limerick City and tailbacks on Friday evenings can run for several miles. That congestion also causes serious problems on county roads which can be used as rat-runs. Members of the public and political representatives in County Limerick continue to be concerned about the slow progress of the Adare by-pass project.

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