Paul Bradford (Fine Gael)

I am glad to have an opportunity to say a few words on this important motion. As my colleague Senator Browne outlined at the start of the debate, this has regularly been the subject matter of Private Members' motions submitted by the Fine Gael Party during the past three or four years. The fact we had to raise the issue so frequently shows not only the extent of our concern but the extent of the problem. I agree with previous speakers. The problem and solution concern all parties in this House. It is not a party political matter. As a serious Opposition party we are obliged to highlight the crisis on the roads of Ireland and demand strong cohesive action from the Government.

There are two schools of thought on this issue. Senator Ormonde placed responsibility on individual drivers while Senator Bannon suggested better roads and more policing. Like all issues of politics, the answer lies somewhere in between. There are major issues in this country with dangerous junctions, bad roads, bad drivers and enforcement. While we will not solve the problem this evening it is important we debate possible solutions.

We were all pleased with the introduction of penalty points. Many Oireachtas Members, like any cross-section of the community, have penalty points and this does not please them. The concept was welcomed in the House and across the country and in the initial stages it seemed to work. We seemed to be solving the problem of deaths on the road. Perhaps it is an Irish trait to get used to these issues and then try to get around them. Every motorist was concerned about the imposition of penalty points when the policy was implemented. It was a hot topic of conversation but that has faded. Hundreds of thousands of drivers received penalty points but one would expect the introduction of the system would slow drivers in the long term and improve safety.

These statistics paint a different picture. Up to October this year 354 people were killed on the roads, a higher figure than in the same period last year. The advantage gained from the penalty points has diminished and we must consider other means of enforcement. The penalty points system did not aim to increase insurance premiums or ban drivers from the road, rather it seeks to ensure every driver would be more careful, thereby improving road safety. This has not worked as well as we thought and it must be urgently reviewed.

I have heard the Minister of State speak on the roll-out of further offences covered by penalty points, such as use of mobile phones. This will help but it is only part of the solution. I have raised the issue of driving instructors, driving lessons and the driving licence system. Perhaps this needs to be reviewed as our system of instruction is not working if we see such carnage on the road network. Driving and care of a vehicle could be studied in secondary school and this matter deserves attention. Most 18 year olds and some 17 year olds are driving. If one can instil a sense of the dangers of the road and teach driving skills, it would be a positive long-term investment.

We should also examine simple issues that are easy to implement, such as those raised by Senator Kate Walsh this evening and on previous occasions. Drivers should have their headlights switched on regardless of the time or weather conditions because this seems to work well in Europe. It will not reduce the statistic of 354 to zero but if it reduces it to 324 that would be great news for 30 families. Sometimes we seek a glorious one-page solution when we need dozens of minor measures. I support Senator Kate Walsh's proposal and hope we can implement such a simple, straightforward measure.

We must also examine the NCT test. Every motorist with a car over a certain number of years must have his or her car tested. We hoped that improving the quality of our vehicles and removing minor faults would improve road safety. This does not appear to have worked. The NCT tests are expensive and there is a suspicion it is a money-making scheme at this stage. I ask the Minister of State to examine this. I strongly favour the NCT test but wonder if vehicles coming through the system are as roadworthy as they should be. Many accidents are caused by faults in the vehicles and that should not happen if the NCT test is as good as we were led to believe.

The quality of roads must be addressed and we will debate Transport 21 in the House tomorrow. While proposals for Atlantic corridors and major motorways are positive, we must ensure a substantial amount of the investment is used for road safety measures. We should examine accident blackspots throughout the country and tackle these issues. Through local authorities we are aware of areas where accidents occur once a fortnight. We should remove these problems through proper investment in road safety measures.

Sometimes it is as simple as replacing a yield sign with a stop sign. I speak as someone who had an accident a number of years ago. I did not see the yield sign, drove through a crossroad and was almost removed from the political and the entire system. The gardaí who were called to the scene of the accident told me accidents occurred on a weekly basis. I was pleased to see the yield sign replaced with a stop sign some months later. If that had been done months before, several accidents could have been avoided.

Such solutions will not result in newspaper headlines but they will work. When we invest billions of euro in our road network we should consider such minor measures. Local authorities should play a greater role in road safety because council officials, engineers and councillors know the areas in which accidents occur.

I support the motion as it is important the Houses of the Oireachtas emphasise making roads safer and reducing road deaths. By bringing forward this motion the Fine Gael Party allows everyone in the House the opportunity to propose ideas. The Opposition and the Government Senators will listen to each other and if we are all here next year, the carnage on the roads in 2006 will be less than the figures for 2005.