Joe Conway (Independent) | Oireachtas source

I advert to something we have all come to notice, I am sure, in our peregrinations around the country, which is the diminishing standard of driver behaviour on the roads. It is all too frequent that I see hazardous and dangerous behaviour. I cannot help but notice, and this may be an ageist thing, that a lot of the people taking unnecessary chances on the road and putting other motorists in danger are younger drivers. I was reading statistics on the way up this morning on the train. Approximately 80% of the people involved fatalities are young males. This tells its own story. I wonder whether we could get the message through to the Department of Justice that there is a serious case to be made for having a broad and, hopefully, effective education policy for motorists. It was done in the past. I do not see much advertising or education for the public on road safety, good road manners and courtesy, which can save lives. Something I have noticed, and I know the Minister will say it is an operational matter for the Garda, is that when people are pulled in off the highways, they are pulled in by unmarked Garda cars. I know it is an operational matter but we really should put a massive investment into unmarked patrol cars. If they are known to be active, motorists will be much more cautious in their use of the roads and considerate of other people. I wish everyone a lovely recess.