Shane McEntee (Meath East, Fine Gael)
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Question 87: To ask the Minister for Transport the position regarding the national road safety strategy; the priorities for 2010; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [6569/10]

Noel Dempsey (Meath West, Fianna Fail)
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The Road Safety Strategy 2007-2012 is being successfully implemented across a range of agencies. The core objective of the Road Safety Strategy is to reduce road deaths to no greater than 60 fatalities per million population by the end of 2012. This is an average of 21 road deaths per month or 252 deaths per annum. 2009 saw the lowest number of road deaths on record at 239. This is an average of 20 road deaths per month. This core objective has been met well before its target date and we must now concentrate our efforts in ensuring that the figure is maintained or improved over the next few years. There have been 19 road deaths so far in 2010 (as of 9am 10th February 2010). This is 4 fewer than for the same period in 2009.

In 2009, my Department completed five of the Actions contained in the Strategy and a further five are progressing. Two of these are included in the Road Traffic Bill 2009 published on 30 October 2009, i.e. lowering the Blood Alcohol Concentration (BAC) levels, and providing for Preliminary Impairment testing. The RSA is tasked with reporting on the 126 actions in the Strategy and their report on the implementation of the actions for 2009 will be submitted to me later in the year. The Strategy identifies 39 Actions for completion in 2010 and my Department will work with the other agencies involved to ensure that these targets are met. The Road Safety Strategy is challenging and ambitious, and even when target dates are missed we must not lose sight of the underlying achievement. Fatalities on our roads have fallen significantly and people are alive today that might be not otherwise be.