Vol. 563 No. 1
466 Ms Shortall asked the Minister for Transport when he expects to receive the report of the high level group on a new road safety strategy for the years 2003 to 2005; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [7121/03]
The programme for Government states that a three year road safety strategy will be developed and will target speeding, drink driving, seat belt wearing and pedestrian safety, in order to reduce deaths and injuries. The high level group on road safety has been charged with preparing the new strategy. The preparation of the new strategy will take account of the achievements in meeting the targets of the strategy between 1998 and 2002, a comprehensive review of that strategy and the evolving developments in relation to the proposed EU third road safety action plan. Preparation of the new strategy is well advanced and I expect to bring specific proposals to the Government before the summer. Pending the introduction of a new strategy, my Department and all the agencies concerned with the implementation of road safety measures are ensuring that the successful measures brought forward under the previous strategy continue to be implemented. There has been a further reduction in road crash fatalities so far this year – provisional figures show 49 road deaths compared to 69 at this time last year.
