Shane Ross (Dublin Rathdown, Independent) | Oireachtas source

My Department's immediate priority for road safety at this time is to ensure the passage of the Road Traffic Bill 2016 through the Oireachtas followed by its speedy enactment, together with the ongoing implementation of the National Road Safety Strategy 2013-2020.  The Road Traffic Bill 2016 contains a series of reforms dealing with drug driving, mutual recognition of driver disqualifications between Ireland and the UK, and a new optional 20 km/h speed limit in built-up areas.  In addition, several miscellaneous and technical matters will be addressed. I would not describe anything as being in tatters but the road safety figures are completely unacceptable. The reasons given for them seem to the four basic ones we have had before and about which the Deputy is familiar, namely, seat belts, mobile phone use, speed and alcohol. I would not say anything is in tatters at all but the figures have spiked this year and this should tell us something. It should tell us that it is not enough to be advertising aggressively in the newspapers and on television. That does not work on its own, the figures are so bad. I am hopeful that the Road Traffic Bill, particularly with its drug clauses and clauses around speeding in housing estates, an issue in which the Deputy has been involved, will help to bring those figures down. I hope to have this legislation ready next week.

Additional information not given on the floor of the House

The National Road Safety Strategy 2013–2020 lists 144 actions, aimed at reducing the number of deaths on our roads to no more than 124 by 2020, in line with the EU target of no more than 24 deaths per million population. The mid-term review of the strategy commenced in November 2016, with an all-day meeting of stakeholders to review progress to date on the implementation of the strategy, including whether the actions identified are still relevant.  While there is good progress on implementation of much of the strategy, more recent trends are a cause of concern and challenges remain in many areas.

This is an opportune time to examine what measures will have the greatest impact on improving road safety for the remaining years of the Strategy, particularly in the light of the worrying increase in road fatalities this year, paralleling increases in other European countries and the US in recent years.  The Road Safety Authority is working to produce a report on the work that needs to be done and on the issues and actions identified by stakeholders.  I understand that this review will be submitted to me as soon as it is complete early in the new year.

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