Michael Noonan (Limerick East, Fine Gael)
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Question 13: To ask the Minister for Transport if he has had contact with the Department of Justice, Equality and Law Reform to discuss and consider altering traffic laws to allow the quicker clearing of minor road vehicle collisions; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [9731/08]

Noel Dempsey (Meath West, Fianna Fail)
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The statutory position in relation to this matter is as follows. The obligations of persons on the occurrence of an accident involving a vehicle where injury is caused to person or property are set out in section 106 of the Road Traffic Act 1961. These outline requirements to keep a vehicle at the scene and in relation to the reporting of the accident. There are no proposals under consideration to amend the present provisions.

The carrying out of investigations in relation to a collision that has occurred is a matter for the Garda Síochána. Operational procedures for investigations are not prescribed in section 106 so any decision to close off a public road or part of a public road at the scene while investigations are undertaken or the setting up of detour routes for traffic are operational matters for the Gardaí in each situation.

On a non-statutory basis, however, I have asked my officials to consult with the Gardaí, the NRA, the City and County Managers Association and the Road Safety Authority to see whether there are any measures which could be taken from a traffic management point of view to mitigate the effects on traffic of collisions or other accidents or incidents which occur on our roads network, particularly in urban areas.