John Dardis (Progressive Democrats)

I second the motion. I am particularly pleased to welcome the Minister for Transport, Deputy Cullen, to the House and to acknowledge the fact that the senior Minister has come to hear the debate. Senator Morrissey has set out the main features and challenges that face the motion. We all agree there is a need for ongoing commitment and investment in this area. The facts are dramatic and stark.

As of 9 a.m. yesterday, 118 people had been killed on our roads this year, in 107 accidents. Some 56 of those were car drivers, 23 were passengers, 20 were pedestrians, 15 were motorcyclists and four were bicycle users. Senator Morrissey referred to the cost imposed on the State by such accidents, which is significant. However, it is nothing by comparison with the trauma inflicted on the 118 families affected by these deaths and very many others who are affected by injuries on the roads.

Many suggestions have been made as to why accidents occur. On the Order of Business in the House last week questions were raised about the state of the roads and the degree to which accidents had been cause by defective surfaces. In one high profile incident in particular, it appeared the state of the road in one county had been responsible for a fatal accident. People talk about mechanical failure and road conditions, but the reality is that driver error is the most significant factor of all. Approximately 80% of all fatal injury crashes are accounted for by driver error. The majority of road crashes are caused by those types of errors.

The typical causes of accidents are well known. Excessive speeding accounts for about a quarter of all fatal casualties. Drink driving is very significant, accounting for a third of all fatal crashes. Another major factor is the number of people who do not wear seat belts. Approximately three out of four people in head-on crashes are killed when they are not wearing seat belts. The significance is clear. At a time of changing human behaviour it is difficult to legislate for the way people behave themselves. It is far more difficult to do that than to tackle mechanical failures or road conditions. However, it is a challenge for us as legislators and one that we have to face up to.

When An Agreed Programme for Government between Fianna Fáil and the Progressive Democrats was published at the start of this Administration, it stated that action would be taken to improve road safety and driver behaviour. Considerable progress has been made. We have the penalty points system, an advisory system for driver education in the school curriculum as well as the new road safety strategy, as referred to by Senator Morrissey. This is aimed at tackling speeding, drink driving, seat belt infringements and pedestrian safety.

There is also the whole question of physical intervention. There is an increase in traffic calming measures. This has been implemented adjacent to schools in my county, which is to be welcomed. We must acknowledge that significant investment has been made in the country's road infrastructure and this has helped as well. The better the road standards the fewer the number of accidents. These are examples of what has been done. As Senator Morrissey indicated, the National Safety Council has shown that more work needs to be done. Tackling driver behaviour is a difficult issue but for the sake of the families of the 118 people killed in the last four months, we must do everything we can.

There are three key issues to be addressed, the question of speed, drink and seat belts. Again, Senator Morrissey has dealt with the speed aspect. It is a depressing and frustrating issue for legislators and, I am sure, for the Garda. That has been the case not just here but in other jurisdictions as well. One wonders how often road users have to be told about the dangers of speed and how many of these gory images must we seen in advertisements in the newspapers or on television. The message is unambiguous, that speed is the single largest factor contributing to road deaths in Ireland. At 60 mph, a car travels 88 feet in one second. That is a long distance for reaction time, to say nothing of braking time. Over 40% of fatal accidents are caused by excessive or inappropriate speed. There seems to be a view among people that speed detection rates are low. There were 335,000 detections for speeding in 2002, so speeding drivers are being detected. We must get the message across that something is being done and that people are being caught. Speed limits have to be credible. There is a 60 km/h speed limit on part of the Naas dual carriageway, which is due to the construction work that is taking place there. However, the only vehicle I have seen travel at or under that speed is a tractor. Nobody pays attention to that speed limit, except during rush hour when it impossible to even reach that speed. Speed limits have to be credible and they have to be applied prudently. If they are in need of amendment, then the local authority should do that.

There is a myth that Ireland's drink driving problem has diminished as a result of the Road Traffic Act 2002 and the reduction of blood-alcohol levels. Most people now feel that getting into a car after drinking is more socially unacceptable, but the statistics belie that attitude. International research has found that alcohol has been a contributing factor to 40% of road accidents in Ireland. Approximately 250 motorists are arrested each week for driving under the influence of an intoxicant, while 90% of blood and urine samples analysed are above the alcohol limit for driving. Up to 80% of breath specimens analysed are above this limit as well. We also must not ignore the issue of driving under the influence of drugs.

Another misconception worth highlighting is that many drivers believe that it is safe to drive if they are below the legal limit. That is a mistake, as the risk of being involved in crashes increases in direct proportion to the amount of alcohol. The Government has a duty to ensure that the law is in place to tackle the problem of drink driving and that is being done. I hope those who complained of the demise of the rural pub when this House debated the Road Traffic Act 2002 will show the same consistency when decrying the measures that need to be taken when dealing with drunk driving. Automatic disqualification applies to all drink driving convictions, as well as a maximum fine of €1,270 and a maximum of six months imprisonment.

Alcohol is also a factor in accidents involving pedestrians. Up to one third of pedestrians killed in road accidents demonstrate high blood alcohol levels. Without seat belts, three out of four people would be killed in a 30 mph head-on crash. The laws have been put in place to force people to belt up in the front and rear of the car. The driver is responsible for ensuring that passengers under 17 comply with the law. The laws are there and we need to have a system of enforcement. We must make sure that the benefits of safety strategies are acknowledged and accepted.

The budget for the Garda Vote for road traffic equipment in 2005 is €1,106,000. That investment is used for the purchase and maintenance of road traffic equipment as required. We need to ensure that all requirements are met under the safety strategy. There were some criticisms about the number of speed cameras on the radio today. However, trying to encourage people to abide by the law just before a bank holiday weekend by criticising the lack of speed cameras is not the way to develop road safety.

I welcome the motion. It is an issue about saving lives and 2,033 lives have been needlessly lost since 2000. We have a role in addressing it through the laws that we enact. We need to look at a cross-departmental approach to this. Investment is required, equipment needs to be provided and the law must be enforced. Speed, alcohol and seat-belts are issues, as is the changing of individual behaviour and we are making progress on this. There is an element of personal responsibility in all of this. The State can legislate until the cows come home, but unless people are prepared to take some responsibility, there will still be a high fatality rate on our roads.