Eamonn Coghlan (Independent) | Oireachtas source

I welcome the Minister. From listening to the contributions of previous speakers, there appears to be overwhelming support for him and the Road Traffic (No. 2) Bill 2013.

The changes proposed in the legislation will make a major contribution in the context of, perhaps, reducing the number of fatalities and serious injuries which occur on our roads on an annual basis. I welcome the graduated driver licensing system, the new penalty points regime and the plans relating to testing drivers for alcohol and drugs use.

That the number of road fatalities decreased between 2001 and 2012 from 415 to 162 was welcome, but last year saw an increase of 28. This was despite our improved motorway system and national roads. While there has been an increase in the number of vehicles using the roads, the number of fatalities remains too high. Some 56% of fatalities involve single-occupancy vehicles. Has this statistic been broken down so that we might determine whether the fatalities were self-inflicted or accidental?

Young drivers represent the highest percentage of fatalities. As has been alluded to, however, they are also more aware of drink driving than ever before. The young members of my family and the circle of young lads and ladies with whom I am involved through sports would not for one second think of getting into a car if the driver happened to have drank a beer or two. They would always assign a non-drinker to drive. However, fatalities and serious injuries on the road do not just involve the young.

People are always prepared to take risks and try for an adrenaline rush. There will always be distractions when a person gets behind the wheel of a car or hops on a motorcycle. It is a question of attitude. On a day-to-day basis, I drive my car and my motorcycle and run around the streets of our constituency for a little bit of exercise. Particularly when one is on a motorcycle or travelling as a pedestrian, one is amazed by what one sees such as: the amount of speeding and traffic lights and stop signs being broken; the number of children sitting in the back of cars without proper safety equipment; the number of adults not wearing safety belts; and the number of people using mobile telephones and texting. Despite the public awareness campaigns undertaken by the Road Safety Authority, RSA, drivers with an attitude problem will not listen and will not respect or care for the law or their fellow citizens. They tell themselves that it will never happen to them. While I am out jogging or on my motorcycle, I sometimes refer to people using mobile telephones on their blind sides where a pedestrian, car, cyclist or motorcyclist is not visible. They just give me the two fingers and tell me to mind my own business.

We welcome the new legislative changes being introduced by the Minister, but perhaps they do not go far enough. People will still disobey the law and have an attitudinal problem when they are behind the wheel. In the US, the laws on drink driving and using mobile telephones are more restrictive than they are in Ireland. If one is caught having drank two beers or glasses of wine in the US and one's blood alcohol level is 0.08%, one's car will be impounded and one will be locked in jail overnight, charged $400 for the car's return and lose one's driving licence for six months. One will need to attend driver education classes and AA meetings at a cost of $30 and $40, respectively. After their completion, one must wait six months to get one's licence back. One must also install a breathalyser in one's car and blow into it. We support the new changes, but more are necessary to ensure people take action.

Regarding texting, I read a message on the front of a US church recently. It warned people about the use of mobile telephones. It told them to honk if they loved Jesus or to text if they wanted to meet Him. This is the message that we must send to people who use mobile telephones in their cars. If we do not, perhaps we should instead immobilise mobile telephones while they are in cars. This would be similar to the buzzer that goes off if one is not wearing a seat belt.