Andrew Doyle (Wicklow, Fine Gael)
Link to this: Individually | In context

Question 713: To ask the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport the target audience the Road Safety Authority and road safety officers should be aiming road safety education at to help combat the recent increase in collisions. [31955/12]

Andrew Doyle (Wicklow, Fine Gael)
Link to this: Individually | In context

Question 724: To ask the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport the audience the Road Safety Authority and Road Safety Officers should be aiming road safety education at to help combat the recent increase in collisions. [32337/12]

Leo Varadkar (Dublin West, Fine Gael)
Link to this: Individually | In context

I propose to take Questions Nos. 713 and 724 together.

The current Government Road Safety Strategy required the Road Safety Authority to lead the implementation of a comprehensive integrated road safety education programme in Pre-Schools, Primary, Post Primary, Third Level and in the Community. These programmes are now in place supplemented with targeted mass media campaigns focussing on the causal factors for deaths and injuries on Irish roads. It is also important to note that these mass media campaigns are also integrated with the policing plans of An Garda Síochána and other enforcement agencies.

The Road Safety Authority's policy is to ensure that all road users develop appropriate attitudes and safe behaviours. It has an established relationship with Local Authority Road Safety Officers and works collaboratively in the roll-out of sustained and integrated educational programmes that are evidenced based, relevant and appropriate for the road using public.

Sadly, the month of June has gone very much against recent trends in terms of road fatalities. When you look at the monthly records over time, you will find occasional sharp fluctuations, followed by a return to the normal trend, but we do need to look closely at the details of these collisions to see if there is any pattern to the increase and the RSA and the Gardaí are doing so.