Paul Gogarty (Dublin Mid West, Independent) | Oireachtas source

The Road Safety Act was a progressive piece of legislation and I commend those involved in its implementation. The legislation, which I broadly welcome, targets three main areas namely mandatory drug testing at the scene of serious collisions; penalty points and some movement around speed limits. It is not a universally well received piece of legislation but we must look first and foremost at saving lives. There are many aspects we need to look at such as ensuring people who cannot drive properly are taken off the road. That means speeding up testing and a zero-tolerance approach to those who serially avoid the tests. It also means more serious consequences for those who drive under the influence or those who drive without insurance. Some time ago, the Motor Insurance Bureau of Ireland suggested that Ireland might have the highest level of uninsured vehicles in the EU. Those driving without insurance are more likely to be the sorts of drivers to kill or maim people. Speed kills so the lower the speed limit, the lower the risk to pedestrians, cyclists and other drivers. A reduction in the speed of a dangerous road may not have everyone keeping the limit but it will certainly discourage many from exceeding the limit to the previous extent. I take on board some of the remarks by my rural colleagues about the types of roads where speed limits are applied. Mayo, for example, had 18 tragic fatalities last year so there is certainly something that needs to be done around particular roads and it needs to be looked at very carefully. However, to improve road safety we need to put in place other complementary measures such as CCTV for those who skip traffic lights or pedestrian crossings. There is a bus lane beside Kishoge train station where people are underpassing. If the gardaí do not have the resources or a traffic corps to enforce rules then we need a dedicated traffic police. I ask the Government to revisit this please.

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