John Lahart (Dublin South West, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I will be interested to hear the Minister's response to this amendment. I think it will probably take more comprehensive analysis and a separate debate. We would all have been tempted to do this at some stage, especially in previous times, before this became such a prevalent issue. I commend the Road Safety Authority's television advertising, highlighting the difference a split-second loss of concentration while behind the wheel can make in causing or precipitating an accident.

The figures available to us - they are also available to the Minister - suggest that driver error represents the single biggest contributory factor, accounting for at least 80% of fatal collisions in recent years. As Deputy Broughan said, it does not just relate to the use of mobile phones.

Ten years ago most people had a basic Nokia phone with a cradle in the car and hands-free set. While I am not exonerating those who used a mobile phone while driving, at least in those days it was just for making calls, whereas now the entire plethora of social media platforms are available on smartphones and different mapping applications are available. There is so much technology on these devices available to drivers now, including mapping and music. Many people do not even use the car radio but connect a smartphone to the stereo system in a car. There is a huge temptation to use the technology available from the smartphone and take one's eyes off the road.

The original plan for this Bill was to introduce new penalties for drivers who allowed themselves to be distracted, whether dialling, making calls or using social media platforms such as Twitter, Facebook or applications such as Google Maps and WhatsApp. However, it has been dropped from the legislation before the Oireachtas. I accept that there are many difficulties in this. A lot of texting is done covertly and trying to assemble the evidence is difficult for gardaí as opposed to just finding someone red-handed with a mobile phone to his or her ear while driving.

The Minister will give us his response to the amendment, but what steps are being taken, including by the Department of Justice and Equality, to address this? The national and international evidence suggests that use of mobile phone devices is becoming an increasingly significant contributory factor in road collisions and deaths. Will the Minister outline his overall vision for what he could do? What legislative strategies could be employed to address this problem? It is not just an issue with drivers. Pedestrians are walking and crossing streets with mobile phones to their ears. We all know how these devices can distract.

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