Bernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael)
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Question 130: To ask the Minister for Transport the extent to which he has sought or received information relating to fatal road deaths; if such actions have been caused by substance abuse, poor roads, speeding or otherwise; if as a result of such studies he has taken steps to address the issue with particular reference to the appalling increase of death on the roads; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [3265/06]

Bernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael)
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Question 277: To ask the Minister for Transport the primary and secondary cause of all fatal motoring accidents here in the past 12 months; his plans to deal with the issue; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [3542/06]

Martin Cullen (Waterford, Fianna Fail)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 130 and 277 together.

Statistics relating to road accidents, based on information provided by the Garda Síochána, are published by the National Roads Authority, NRA, in its annual Road Accident Facts reports. The most recent report, now entitled Road Collision Facts, relates to 2004 and is available on the NRA website. Reports relating to previous years are available in the Oireachtas Library. The report refers in particular to the various contributory factors to collisions where such data is available.

In that context the report in respect of 2004 notes that driver error accounted for 88% of all contributory factors in respect of all collisions where such were identified. Pedestrian error was the next most listed factor at 8%, with road factors accounting for 2% of all of those listed. The remaining factors listed related to vehicle and environmental factors.

The report does not address a ranking order for contributory factors to collisions on a specific or general basis. However, the report notes that during the hours of the day most strongly associated with drinking and driving, some 26% of fatalities were recorded.

The annual road collision reports provide a significant degree of knowledge that supports and informs the deployment of road safety measures, which are pursued within the planning framework of the multi-annual road safety strategies.

Olwyn Enright (Laois-Offaly, Fine Gael)
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Question 131: To ask the Minister for Transport the progress he has made in persuading industry on the retrofitting of blind spot mirrors on older heavy goods vehicles; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [3360/06]

Martin Cullen (Waterford, Fianna Fail)
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Directive 2003/97 lays down new standards for the type approval of certain categories of vehicles, particularly lorries, in relation to the field of vision of drivers and requires that all new vehicles meet the new standards from 26 January 2007.

In April 2005, the Irish Road Haulage Association, IRHA, the Society of the Irish Motor Industry, SIMI, and the Irish Business and Employers Confederation, IBEC, were requested to consider advising their members to retrofit vehicles with blind spot mirrors or indirect vision devices. SIMI was also asked that, in advance of the 26 January 2007 deadline for new vehicles, all new HGVs being put on the market meet the higher standards required by Directive 2003/97/EC.

The IRHA responded positively indicating that for the past number of years it has actively encouraged its members to fit convex mirrors to their vehicles and to request these when acquiring new vehicles. SIMI has informed me that it has received a very positive response from vehicle distributors to the request for early implementation of Directive 2003/97/EC and it anticipates that by the end of March 2006 up to 80% of new vehicles of the relevant categories will meet the requirements of the directive. It is my intention to have the necessary directive transposed into law before the deadline of January 2007.