Dáil Éireann debate -
Tuesday, 12 Feb 2002

Vol. 548 No. 2

Written Answers. - Road Safety.

John Dennehy

Question:

298 Mr. Dennehy asked the Minister for the Environment and Local Government if he has satisfied himself that present campaigns to highlight the importance of using seat belts are successful; his plans to extend these campaigns; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [4359/02]

Minister of State at the Department of the Environment and Local Government (Mr. Molloy)

The Government strategy for road safety 1998-2002 has prioritised a systematic and co-ordinated set of measures for preventing and reducing road accidents. It establishes quantified targets for achieving its objectives, the principal of which is to reduce road deaths and serious injuries each by at least 20% by 2002 relative to 1997. The need to increase the wearing rate of seat belts has been identified as one of the four key priority areas in the strategy.

The third progress report on the strategy shows that real and worthwhile gains are being made in road safety within the framework of the Government strategy. The level of roads deaths reduced by 13.3% between 1997 and 2001, and serious injuries decreased in the 1997-2000 period by almost 25% relative to a reduction target of 20% by end 2002.

The National Safety Council has been mandated with the role of road safety promotion, education and advertising. Its hard-hitting advertising campaign called DAMAGE is aimed at increasing the wearing rates of seatbelts in the front and rear of vehicles.

Irish regulations, subject to certain limited exceptional exemptions, require that the driver and each passenger occupying a forward facing front seat of a car must wear a safety belt or an appropriate child restraint, where fitted.

Current wearing rates in Ireland, at an estimated 55%, may save as many as 40 lives each year. The Government strategy sets a target of 85% wearing rates for front and rear seat belts which when achieved could result in saving an additional 30 lives each year. Measures in support of this target include the extension of the on-the-spot fines for failure to wear a seat belt and the operation of a penalty point system.

The primary focus of the Road Traffic Bill, 2001, is to promote new legislative provisions that will further enhance road safety. Given the priority accorded to the wearing of seat-belts in the Government strategy on road safety, the Bill provides that a number of offences resulting from the laws pertaining to seat belts will attract penalty points.