Jack Chambers (Dublin West, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I am pleased to be in the Seanad today to update all Members on road safety and current progress against actions within the Government's road safety strategy for the period from 2021 to 2030. This is an opportunity for me to hear Members' perspectives on a matter of grave concern to us all. It is with a heavy heart that I acknowledge the tragic loss of life on Ireland's roads in 2023. From 1 January to 26 September, there were 136 fatalities on Irish roads.This is 26 more deaths compared to the same period in 2022. In addition, almost 850 people have been seriously injured in road traffic collisions so far this year. August had the highest number of fatalities per month this year with 26 road deaths occurring. If the year-to-date trends continue, a total of 192 people could be killed by the end of the year. There has also been a tragic loss of many young lives on our roads this year with the highest number of deaths in the past five years. A total of 12 children under the age of 16 and 35 teenagers and young adults aged 16 to 25 years have died on our roads. Counties Tipperary, Galway, Mayo and Cork have experienced the highest numbers of fatalities in 2023 and rural roads with a speed limit of 80 km/h or more accounted for almost seven in ten of all deaths. Every death is one too many. We know of the life-changing impact that serious injuries can have beyond the victim for families, friends and communities; for extended periods of time; and sometimes for life. Everyone is entitled to use our roads and to be safe while doing so.

We know from research and from the victims of road traffic collisions the tragic human costs and socioeconomic impact of road deaths. We know where these collisions happen, we know when they happen and we can even say why they happen in many cases. The four main causes of road fatalities continue to be speeding, intoxicated driving, the non-wearing of seat belts and distracted driving, all of which come down to driver behaviour. Irish data from a range of sources, including self-report surveys, observational studies and analysis of coronial data and collision figures show concerning levels of these dangerous driving behaviours and, in some cases, a deterioration.

Data from the Road Safety Authority, RSA, has provided a number of emerging trends. Almost half of fatalities this year occurred between Friday and Sunday. Although night-times feature lower traffic volumes, they do feature high numbers of collisions. Evidence suggests that these periods present greater risks in terms of driver behaviours such as drink- and drug-driving and fatigue. A more recent 2023 observational study found that 46% of drivers were driving above the 50 km/h speed limit demonstrating that speeding is a current and significant problem in Ireland.

Regarding drink driving, analysis of coronial data found that 37% of driver fatalities that occurred between 2015 to 2019 had a positive toxicology for alcohol. RSA surveys have also indicated that there has been an increase in the social acceptability of drink-driving. This is a worrying trend that we must reverse.

Drug-driving is also a serious concern. Recent data from the Medical Bureau of Road Safety, MBRS, indicates that drivers arrested for drug driving are typically male and under the age of 45. Cannabis, cocaine and benzodiazepines are the most commonly detected drugs.

High levels of mobile phone usage have been reported by drivers in Ireland. Recent research from 2022 has indicated that approximately one in four motorists is not only checking his or her phone but writing messages while driving. I am very concerned about this. A driver is four times more likely to be involved in a collision while using a mobile phone, as reported by the World Health Organization.

While overall seat belt-wearing rates are high, between 2019 and 2022, 29% of driver fatalities and 23% of passenger fatalities were not wearing a seat belt at the time of the collision. This level of non-seat belt wearing must be addressed to improve survival outcomes should a collision occur.

In a 2021 self-report survey, one in four motorists reported falling asleep or nodding off while driving. We know that driver fatigue plays a role in up to 20% of road traffic collisions and increases crash risk so this is a significant concern.

So what can be done? The Government's Road Safety Strategy 2021-2030 is the current framework for road safety for our country. The strategy follows international best practice, aligns the timeframe with EU and UN targets and is based on a Safe System approach. This approach adopts an holistic view of the total road transport system and the interaction between people, vehicles, and the road environment to create a safe mobility system forgiving of human error. The strategy has the ambitious target of reducing road deaths and serious injuries by 50% by 2030 and to achieve Vision Zero - no deaths or serious injuries - on Irish roads by 2050. The strategy is divided into three phases - one to 2024, the next between 2025 and 2027 and the following one between 2028 and 2030. An action plan for phase one with 186 actions was published alongside the strategy. Subsequent action plans will be prepared for the later phases to take account of trends at those times.

We are past the halfway point of delivering phase 1 of the strategy and I am pleased to note that almost all actions are on track for successful delivery. However, in response to the alarming recent trends in fatalities, we are working to deliver and re-prioritise certain actions within the strategy. The first annual review of the strategy was held in February resulting in the identification of a series of new priority actions for 2023 in response to rising fatalities. These priorities include reviewing the operation of the mobile safety camera system; research into understanding driver behaviour; building on the increase in fixed charge penalty notices for certain road traffic offences introduced in 2022 by developing proposals to increase penalty points; exploring cross-agency funding of road safety investment; advancing the alcohol interlock programme; supporting and streamlining roads policing; reviewing the testing curriculum; and, most recently, implementing the recommendations from the speed limit review. Progress on several high-impact actions from the strategy has been facilitated with the signing into law of the Road Traffic and Roads Act 2023 in June enabling work on e-scooters, average speed cameras and regulated use of CCTV cameras to advance.

We know that speeding both increases the likelihood of a road traffic collision occurring and the severity of injury sustained should a collision occur. The WHO has estimated that a 5% reduction in average speed could result in a 30% reduction in fatal collisions. Related to this, the speed limit review was published earlier this month. Implementation of the review is a key priority of mine and my Department has commenced work on new guidelines and legislation to reflect its recommendations. A number of changes will be made to default speed limits to improve safety on different parts of the road network.

Given the alarming trends, concrete steps have been taken in recent weeks to accelerate other high Impact actions within the road safety strategy. This includes the announcement by the Minister for Justice that the number of GoSafe camera hours will be increased by 20% between now and the end of the year.

At the request of the ministerial road safety committee, which I chair, a cross-government expert group has considered potential reforms to the penalty point system. I am pleased to inform the House that emergency legislation is now being prepared by my Department in that regard, which I hope can pass into law with everyone's co-operation before the end of the year.

My Department has also requested that the RSA identifies the resources required to urgently implement additional education and awareness campaigns targeting dangerous road user behaviours. This action will complement the comprehensive suite of measures currently in place with current campaign priorities targeting drivers and their behaviours.

I stress that successful delivery of the strategy is dependent on co-operation and contributions from Departments, key stakeholders and, most importantly, road users. As well as the work of Government and the Road Safety Authority, we need all road users to play their part in making our roads safer. Safer road use is particularly important to realising the strategy's ambitious goal of reducing road deaths and serious injuries by 50% by 2030. This is a whole-of-society ambition that demands our combined collective efforts. State authorities and citizens have a role to play to ensure we realise this worthy goal. To conclude, I thank Senators for the opportunity to discuss the important issue of road safety and I look forward to hearing their views.