Timmy Dooley (Fianna Fail)

I welcome the Minister and the Bill. It is the second road safety Bill we have discussed in the House recently, the other being the Road Safety Authority Bill. Despite what Senator Coghlan and others may say, this Bill clearly shows the commitment of the Government to dealing with the scourge of road deaths. Dealing with road accidents cannot be seen purely as the remit of the Government. It is up to all of us to address this scourge as quickly as possible. The Bill outlines the statutory background to a range of specific measures set out in the Road Safety Strategy 2004-06 and it is very welcome.

The best experts have been available to us in terms of trying to divine strategies that will lead to a reduction in road deaths. Some Members of the Opposition and other commentators have tried to corral the Government into making quick decisions in regard to the enactment of legislation. However, if we have learned one thing from the past week it is that rushed legislation never provides the best framework for a comprehensive approach to dealing with any matter, including road deaths. That is why I believe the background work that has been carried out and the comparisons with other jurisdictions in terms of how they have handled this problem will provide a meaningful and comprehensive set of measures that will address the problem of road deaths.

It is the remit of the Government to enact legislation to set out proper guidelines for behaviour on the roads but it us up to all road users to play their part. All citizens have a responsibility to look upon road travel as a privilege rather than a right. In this way they will be obliged to utilise the road in a way that is safe not just for themselves but for others. The legislation is of the utmost importance. It has been claimed that it has taken a year to get to this stage which is due to the reasons outlined. One must put in place a comprehensive package of measures.

In my time in the House the issue of road safety has been the one topic that has been discussed more than any other. There is a good reason we have debated this matter so often. This is a critical national issue which is being discussed in every parish and community. The matter is of concern to everybody because we all either know or are related to somebody who has been involved in a serious accident in recent years. From the outset the Minister has shown a willingness and desire to tackle the scourge of road deaths. He has outlined his approach to the House on many occasions.

Much of the publicity tends to focus on road deaths but the serious injuries that occur in road accidents are also a major cause of concern. Many people have been maimed for life as a result of road accidents and some are confined to wheelchairs in hospitals or other institutions. Their lives are completely destroyed. It may appear callous but while it is devastating for a family, at least death brings closure, but for those who are maimed in a most appalling way their families continue to suffer on a daily basis.

It is critically important that we adopt a united approach to putting in place a culture that does not accept the current level of death and destruction on the roads. The legislation will be helpful in contributing to this in terms of its carrot and stick approach. We must encourage people to be more responsible on the road while putting in place measures that will penalise those who show scant regard not just for their own lives but the lives of other people.

Senator Coghlan outlined a number statistics. It is important to view the issue of road deaths in the context of the greater number of cars on the road. If one examines the period of time in which the Government has addressed this matter, the actual number of road deaths has decreased. In the past year, there has been a blip in the pattern, which some have suggested was due to a lack of conviction or work on the part of the Garda in terms of finding law-breakers.

We should examine the matter in respect of the number of vehicles on the road. In 2001, there were 411 road deaths and a registered number of 1.6 million vehicles on our roads. In 2005, there were 399 road deaths, which was an increase on the 2004 figure, and 2.1 million vehicles. As such, the number of road deaths has been decreasing for many reasons, such as the strategies taken and better roads, which has resolved a number of the issues. One must view the number of road deaths in the context of how many vehicles are on our roads. We all recognise that our roads are becoming busier.

An attempt to change society must address attitudes and culture. Some people have little regard for road usage. Previously, an interdepartmental task force was mentioned. Perhaps the Minister will refer to it and its level of development when he concludes. The task force would bring together the Departments of Transport and Education and Science, which has made initial comments on what it is proposing to do in respect of educating young people on road usage as part of the curriculum or secondary cycle.

The leaving certificate examination has just begun and many young people are focusing on it as a major element in their lives, but it will become secondary for those who go to college during the coming years. A significant decision in their lives will be to find jobs, a by-product of which will be the requirement to have cars. In this day and age, there is nothing more important than educating young people in such a way that they have respect for the privilege of road usage. There has been some opposition within the bowels of the education system, but this is an important matter. We should focus on improving and changing the culture. The Minister knows better than anyone that trying to change a culture takes a long time. The only way to do so in this respect is through the education system.

In this Bill and other legislation, the Minister has outlined the updating of the penalty points system, to which I give a cautious welcome. From the outset, I signalled my opposition to the overuse of penalty points as a deterrent. In their early stages, they were effective in identifying a number of key road safety factors and ensuring the stick element of the carrot and stick approach worked. However, the system loses its impact if there are penalty points for too many offences.

Previously, Senators spoke about getting penalty points for turning right on a main road, driving in the wrong lane or crossing a lane. These provisions take the matter too far and have the potential to lose the public's enthusiasm. If the system is restricted to the main problems of speeding, drink driving — which is covered in terms of disqualification — seatbelt wearing and general disregard for others' lives through dangerous driving, it will keep the focus on penalty points and, through their use and punishments, derive the hoped for benefits.

I recognise the difficulties experienced by the Minister and his officials in trying to draft legislation that takes account of the changes in the communications infrastructure, that is, the penalty points associated with the use of mobile telephones. I am on the road on a regular basis and the most appalling sight thereon is the use of mobile telephones by truck drivers. Most heavy goods vehicles are driven by young people. Previously, older and more experienced people drove those trucks, but it is impossible for hauliers to get people with experience to take on what is a difficult job.

The younger drivers tend to use their mobile telephones in the most appalling ways. Recently, I saw a truck reversing on a narrow street where many young people, children and parents with buggies were passing. While using the truck's mirrors to reverse, the driver had his telephone to his ear. Regularly, one can see this happening as trucks drive by on motorways well above the speed possible with engines fitted with governors.

This practice must be stamped out and I hope this legislation will do so. However, enforcement must be put in place and I am not sure that the Bill provides for cameras to detect the use of mobile telephones. It is not specifically mentioned, but perhaps it can be introduced through regulation. Mobile telephone usage is one of the major causes of serious road accidents. It would be of great benefit were the issue to be addressed through the use of cameras.

The continued focus on the wearing of seatbelts, speeding and drunk and dangerous driving is the best way forward in dealing with road deaths. The Minister has done good work in respect of legislating for random breath testing, a matter on which there were various views. The Minister asked the members of the Joint Committee on Transport to examine the issue and our deliberations were helpful in informing the debate.

Various interest groups created the potential for a legal quagmire in the form of a constitutional challenge that could not be surpassed, but I welcome how the Minister took the issue by the horns and found a way through that most right-minded people consider should have been the case for quite some time. In a targeted way, random breath testing will lead to a decrease in road deaths, as proven in Australia and elsewhere. In conjunction with the Garda, there will be a requirement to resource specific facilities, such as those in Australia in the form of the booze bus. It ensures that if one person is detected, the two officers assigned to the checkpoint are not taken away to process the individual. If there is a targeted measure in a particular area, be it a pub or whatever, it is likely that many people will be intoxicated. If the first person to get caught removes the presence of the Garda from the site for the rest of the evening, one is only scratching at the surface.

We need an approach that resources the Garda in such a way that allows it to implement a targeted measure. This would send out a strong message. If word got out that the Garda is in a position to apprehend 15 or 20 people leaving a licensed premises above the legal alcohol limit, it would provide a greater shock to the community than saying people could be stopped anywhere at any time during the day or night for random breath testing. If there is a belief that one will certainly get caught, it will have a more significant effect. The Garda will require help to fund that enforcement.

A publicity campaign is important in changing culture. I do not often compliment RTE. Most of the time, I privately complain about the publicity it gives to issues of little concern or how it balances its views. However, I compliment RTE on its recent work and particularly that of Mr. Charlie Bird. The first example was RTE's broadcast of a parent telling the story of the loss of his daughter approximately 48 hours after she had been buried. He recounted the effect on the victim's little daughter, which was very chilling. Media reports should name the people who die in a given month, because it would serve as a harrowing reminder to everyone of the effects of death on the roads. Shock tactic advertising has not worked. Some great advertisements, which people initially thought too gruesome to be shown, have not changed the culture in any way. RTE deserves credit for the harrowing stories to which it has given publicity.

I compliment the Minister on his work and the way he has addressed the issue. I welcome the Bill and the Minister's indication that another piece of legislation is in preparation. That gives the lie to the notion that the Government is inactive and lacks concern for this major problem.