Diarmuid Wilson (Fianna Fail)

I welcome the new initiatives brought forward by the Minister for Transport, Deputy Séamus Brennan. The introduction of the penalty points system has brought about a revolution in the thought process of all motorists in this country. Surveys carried out since the introduction of penalty points for speeding show that there has been a 72% decrease in the numbers exceeding the speed limits. When one considers that almost 350,000 on-the-spot fines were issued by gardaí for excessive speeding last year, this reduction is hugely significant. It shows that fear of being caught is one of the major influences on motorist behaviour.

The programme of installing speed cameras should be extended, particularly in urban areas where there are problems with speeding vehicles. It would be more beneficial to reallocate money from some of the traffic calming schemes, particularly where they are installed at locations where there are already bottlenecks due to traffic volumes and speeds rarely exceed 10 mph, as in one town I pass through on my way to and from Dublin.

The penalty points system cannot be taken in isolation because there are other Government initiatives which have led to safer roads. The Government's five year strategy on road safety saw the number of serious injuries reduced in 2001 to a figure over 40% lower than that which prevailed prior to the launch of the strategy. The low cost accident reduction schemes, funded by the Government, have been very successful since their introduction some years ago and I am delighted they are to continue.