Frances Fitzgerald (Fine Gael)

I welcome the Minister of State, Deputy Michael Ahern, to the House for this important debate on road safety, which was requested by Senators from all sides of the House. I congratulate the Road Safety Authority on its new strategy. It is obviously critical that we put in place a very broad strategy that commands the support of the wider public, including drivers of all ages. We know from the statistics which have been published that young drivers, in particular, are vulnerable on our roads.

On the Order of Business this morning, a number of Senators welcomed the arrival in Ireland this weekend of the world rally championship. Perhaps the Minister of State will comment on the decision of the Road Safety Authority to invest money in Rally Ireland by becoming one of its partners. Could that decision be interpreted as contributing to the glorification of speed? I appreciate that the authority is trying to connect with young drivers by supporting a popular professional sport that appeals to them. I accept that rallying, which requires a combination of great driving skills and speed, has a great following in Ireland. I wonder if the authority's decision to fund Rally Ireland on a formal basis will be seen as an endorsement of the enthusiasm of young male drivers, in particular, for speed and modified cars. I am concerned that the Road Safety Authority's important message, which relates to responsibility while driving, may be lost.

Has research been done into the effectiveness of the current television advertisements which form part of the overall road safety campaign? The advertisements in question are terrifying for most of us. What impact do they have on young male drivers? How many of those drivers even see the advertisements? Has research uncovered the most effective way of transmitting the message about safe driving? Can the Department of Transport and the Road Safety Authority confirm whether the substantial spend on this campaign has been backed by scientific evidence? It would be interesting to establish whether it has. Perhaps such research could also clarify the wisdom of the authority's sponsorship of a rallying event.

We have to do a great deal of work on education if we are to reduce the shocking level of road deaths. I am sure all Senators will agree that horror stories about the effects of speeding have a limited effect on those who do not have the skills needed to drive safely. It is clear that the recent announcements about provisional licences and driver testing were botched. I am concerned about whether the waiting lists for driving tests will be cleared by the deadline set by the Minister. If they are not cleared, what will the Minister do?

The resistance to reducing the legal blood alcohol concentration levels for drivers is based on the argument that rural communities would suffer. It is time to address this issue. We should develop and support rural communities by putting in place proper transport networks in rural areas. We should not use concerns about rural communities as an excuse for not reducing the blood alcohol level at which people can drive legally, because we know very well such a reduction would save lives. Members of the House have a particular responsibility to deal with this issue in a manner that will save lives. If we are ambivalent about drink driving, we will cause further loss of life. The time has come to grasp this nettle and to deal with the issues faced by people in rural communities. We should not use spurious arguments as an excuse for not taking the sort of action that is necessary. After all, what could be more conducive to developing community spirit than encouraging people, communities and families to support the concept of the designated driver?