Alan Shatter (Dublin South, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

There is much focus on the important area of road fatalities but not enough is put on people who are seriously injured and whose lives are blighted by serious road accidents. They do not appear in fatality statistics but their lives and those of families are forever affected by serious traffic accidents. We have at least that one united objective of trying to ensure we make our roads a good deal safer than they are. It is not just a matter of Garda enforcement; it takes in the public's attitude and the need for people to behave responsibly. It also encompasses the safety of our road system and the need for people to obey traffic lights, as well as the behaviour of pedestrians. It is alarming that there appears to be an increase in pedestrian fatalities. From reading some of what was said at the conference held by the Road Safety Authority last week, I was not absolutely clear whether some of the pedestrian deaths had arisen from pedestrian behaviour, driver behaviour or a mixture of both. Probably all of us in this House have been guilty of the behaviour that is emerging internationally of driver distraction, which I referenced very briefly. On occasion we have all driven cars while speaking on telephones, and one of the enforcement issues for gardaí which can result in action is when somebody is holding a mobile phone - or cellphone in the United States - and speaking while driving. Most cars are now fitted with equipment to enable people to engage in conversation without holding a mobile phone, and there is a growing concern that the extent to which people are distracted by phone calls results in serious accidents. The perception some years ago was that once a person was not holding a phone, he or she would be relatively safe. One can understand how that may not be the case, as an individual may be particularly engaged in a conversation, irate or stressed on the telephone, which could have fatal consequences either for a driver or others. We must give some further thought and consideration to the area, although it goes beyond any issue in the inspectorate report. It is a concern in the road safety sphere and I am sure my colleague, the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport, Deputy Varadkar, is giving serious thought to it in tandem with the Road Safety Authority.

There is also the question of communicating with young people. Far too many road fatalities are young men, either teenagers or in their early 20s, and much of the advertising and communication about the danger of driving at excessive speed bypasses too many young people, unfortunately. As a result, too many die on our roads.

It has been a long day and I appreciate the contributions made by Members. I will not say I was enthralled by the repetitive calls for my resignation, which seemed to form part of a single transferable speech that some Members deliver. There have been some important discussions on substantive issues. It is important, although it was not officially part of the discussion this evening, that we get as much information as possible on the issue of the tapes, their numbers and usage, their availability and storage, as well as their relevance to either current or past court proceedings.

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