Vol. 197 No. 2
asked the Minister for Local Government if he is aware that new regulations made in Britain and coming into effect on 1st November provide that large and awkward loads which dislocate ordinary traffic on roads will have to be sent by other means of transport or be sent in smaller pieces; and if he will introduce similar regulations here.
76.
asked the Minister for Local Government if he will introduce regulations making the wearing of crash helmets compulsory for all those riding on motor bicycles, scooters, autocycles, etc.
With your permission, a Cheann Comhairle, I propose to take Questions Nos. 75 and 76 together.
As regards abnormal loads, British conditions differ from ours and we would not necessarily follow their regulations. There are at present certain controls on large loads applied by the Mechanically Propelled Vehicles (Construction, Equipment and Use) Orders 1934 to 1948, made under the Road Traffic Act, 1933.
Under the Road Traffic Act, 1961, a comprehensive review of regulations regarding the construction, equipment and use of vehicles, including the matter of driver's equipment, is well advanced. The first subject taken was the lighting of vehicles, and as I indicated in reply to Question No. 74, my proposals in that regard will be published in the near future. The remainder of the regulations, including those dealing with abnormal loads and crash helmets, will then be dealt with. The practice is to consult expert opinion in the preparation of draft regulations and then to publish an advance draft for any comments that interested parties may wish to make on it.
Has the Minister any idea when the regulations might be introduced to compel the use of crash helmets?
As I have said in reply to these two Questions, we are at the stage in regard to the lighting regulations, and so on, of being quite near to being able to put these before the public. Immediately following on the completion of that set of regulations, our next step will include the matters——
About five or six months, or a year?
I am afraid I have been rather optimistic. I do not like giving these views because I have found that the research and the time necessary to go into even the smallest little regulation are rather enormous, having regard to the time taken up by those who have to do this work. So many of these regulations are under review at the moment that I would not even try to state when I would hope they would come in.
