Hildegarde Naughton (Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I welcome the Minister to the House and the Road Traffic (No. 2) Bill. The overall purpose of the Bill which has been highlighted is to improve safety on our roads and to bring about a reduction in collisions, fatalities and serious injuries. The main provisions of the Bill include the introduction of the concept of a novice driver class, changes to the penalty points system, taking blood from an incapacitated driver, intoxication impairment tests and making it an offence to clock a car. All of the measures in the Bill will work to improve road safety for current and future road users.

There is a need to promote consistently a change in road user attitudes and to encourage a culture of responsibility in regard to personal safety. We must also strive to ensure a reduction in serious injury, collisions and fatalities which this Bill aims to achieve. I welcome the Road Safety Strategy 2013-2020 which will work further towards this goal.

While serious injuries in 2013 were down by 25 compared with 2012 figures, clearly it is a shocking figure and it highlights the need for continual measures to be put in place. Unfortunately, the figures for road deaths in 2013 are disconcerting, showing a rise of 28 road deaths to 190 compared to 2012. There are many measures already in place, which are working effectively, such as safety cameras, the visibility of the Garda traffic corps, the penalty points system and the lowering of the legal alcohol limits. There has also been a major increase in awareness that drink driving is no longer acceptable. However, a major factor in road deaths and serious injuries is speed and this needs to be tackled. Therefore, I look forward to the implementation of the report of the speed limits review group, which was published in November.

In addition, I welcome the work of the Medical Bureau of Road Safety which is currently sourcing a viable device, similar to the breathalyzer, for detecting drugs. I welcome the implementation of the concept of the novice driver and setting a lower disqualification threshold where novice and learner drivers will be disqualified from driving after acquiring six penalty points. This measure aims to ensure that these drivers do not engage in risk taking behaviour. Learner drivers will have to produce a logbook indicating that they have undertaken a specified period of informal driving instruction before taking the test. This is in addition to the 12 lessons with approved driving instructors. I would also question, as Senator Ned O'Sullivan did, how the logbook would be assessed and how the drivers would be able to prove they have undertaken the informal driving instruction.

The changes to the penalty points system to include an increase in points for offences such as dangerous overtaking or using a mobile telephone are welcome. New penalty point offences such as failure to respect a "Stop" sign will also work towards curbing irresponsible and dangerous driving and will, hopefully, focus road users' awareness on safe driving. I also welcome the provision to make it an offence to tamper with an odometer. In 2012, the FIA issued a press release stating that clocking across Europe was at a level of between 5% to 12% of all used vehicle sales in Europe. These figures show that Ireland which reported clocking incidences between 9.8% and 11% is at the higher end of that scale.

I thank the Minister for bringing the Bill forward and I commend it to the House.