I thank the Chairman. I do not propose to go through my submission in detail but will highlight some headlines for members. I last appeared before this joint committee in January 2009 and there has been significant progress to report even thus far this year. The current position is that road fatalities in Ireland is an enormous issue. From 1 January 1980 until 9 a.m. this morning, 13,002 people have lost their lives on Irish roads. To put the enormity of the problem in context, that is the equivalent of 36 747-type aeroplane crashes in which all the occupants were killed. It is four times the number of people who died in the Troubles in the North of Ireland. I estimate that between today and New Year's Eve, a further 75 to 80 people will lose their lives on Irish roads if we continue at the current rate. Moreover, that estimate rules out major catastrophes such as a major bus crash or a huge motorway collision involving multiple fatalities. Therefore, even at the current rates, a further 75 to 80 people are likely to lose their lives on Irish roads between now and New Year's Eve.
That said, 2008 saw the lowest number of people killed on Irish roads since records began. The public policy the Oireachtas is following in respect of its legislation has saved lives, particularly in the past three years, and continues to save lives. The effort is cumulative and the task we face in road safety is like assembling a highly complex jigsaw. It is not a choice of one measure or another but is a case of needing all the measures. There is no single silver bullet that will solve all our problems. The Oireachtas has taken some very tough decisions on issues such as licensing reform, the introduction of mandatory alcohol testing and the dedicated traffic corps, the roll-out of penalty points and several other initiatives. Consequently, Members have put in place many of the key jigsaw pieces that have saved and are saving lives.
Table 2 of my submission is a graph demonstrating road fatalities between 1980 and 2008. It shows how with some interventions, the death rate drops quite quickly but that, unfortunately, a plateau effect can happen. For example, the compulsory use of safety belts was introduced in 1990. While it was not popular at the time, it undoubtedly saved lives. Mandatory breath testing for alcohol was introduced in 2007, which undoubtedly also has saved lives and so on. The marked change that took place in 1998 coincides with the first-ever Government road safety strategy. The second road safety strategy was launched in 2002 and at present we are three years into the current road safety strategy. The strategy and public policy being laid out by the Oireachtas undoubtedly is saving lives.
Internationally, Ireland now is the sixth safest member state in the European Union. When I first began to appear before the joint committee, we were down in 16th or 17th place. I am pleased to note that internationally, Ireland is beginning to be recognised as a country within Europe that has in place the correct policies. Yesterday, we hosted a 13-member study delegation from Finland. A delegation from Bulgaria is due to visit in October and we have had a deputation from Israel. We have presented the road safety strategy to the Spanish Ministry and on Monday next, we will speak at the RoSPA annual conference in Wales. Ireland's reputation internationally certainly is up there and our policies are perceived to be working.
I draw members' attention to page 8 of the submission, which contains five-year fatality data by county. The last time I appeared before the joint committee, we only had one year's data but we now have analysed five years' data. The darker colour shows the counties with the highest date rates per million of population. The Border counties have particular problems.
Page 8 also lists serious injuries, with the Border counties highlighted as well. This highlights the need to bring enforcement and education to the areas with the greatest need, but it also highlights some of the shortcomings the committee raised previously, such as dealing with out of State drivers and the mutual recognition of penalty points. The data shows that these are the right measures with which to proceed. While Ireland and the UK can bilaterally deal with disqualified drivers, there must be action at a European level to address the mutual exchange of penalty points, as it is not a possibility for the two countries.
There was a decrease of 19% in fatalities in 2008 on 2007. In the 1998-2008 period, our population increased by 19%, the number of registered motor vehicles increased by 65% and the number of licence holders increased by 36%. However, given the public policy being pursued, our death rate has dropped by 39%. It is important that we not only discuss numbers, but that we remember, given the stated increases, that exposure on the road has increased, yet we are saving more lives than ever.
My submission shows members the reduction in 2008 over 2007. Last year saw a 9% reduction in the number of motorcycle fatalities and a 23% reduction in passenger fatalities. As 31% of all people killed were between the ages of 17 and 24 years, that age group is still a problem. The greatest reduction last year was a decrease of 42% in the number of pedestrians killed on our roads. We would argue that this was directly related to public education, enforcement, the training of drivers through the use of properly approved driving instructors and our campaigns. For example, we distributed 600,000 high-visibility vests last year free of charge. The culture among pedestrians is changing, but there is more to do, particularly in urban settings.
I draw the committee's attention to information on page 14 regarding the types of collision in 2008. Some 37% of all fatal collisions were single vehicle collisions, predominantly down to loss of control. While there may be many factors involved, the main factor is excessive and inappropriate speed for the road conditions and the competence and experience of the driver. Other factors include alcohol, driver fatigue, drug impairment and, in some instances, acts of sheer recklessness involving novice and inexperienced drivers.
Drawing on the Goodbody Economic Consultants' report, the cost of all fatal and injurious collisions in 2008 equates to €1.38 billion, approximately €3 million per collision. The top of page 15 shows the different costs for fatal, serious, minor injury and material damage collisions. Ireland does not have good figures on the economic cost of collisions, by which I mean social and economic disruption. This morning, a large part of Limerick city was closed because a large truck shed its load on the new ring road overnight. Whenever the M50 or any road into a regional town is closed because a truck sheds its load or there is a collision, there is an economic cost for the businesses and people in those areas. We are working with the Department for Transport in London on devising a model to give the committee relevant data, but the economic cost is significant.
The graph on page 16 shows that Ireland has moved into sixth place in Europe behind Germany, the Netherlands, the UK, Sweden and Malta. Last year, 63 Irish citizens per million were killed. There is no reason that Ireland cannot be the best, as many of the essential measures are in place. Big ticket amounts of money are not required. Rather, we must consolidate policy, finish the work and hold agencies such as mine to account for delivery, as there has already been phenomenal investment. In the past three years, €26 million has been invested in the driver testing backlog. When we started this endeavour, the average wait for a driving test was 69 weeks, but it is now ten weeks. Of the 50,000 current driving test applicants, 21,000 have their test dates in their hands. The situation has changed and anyone who wants a driving test can usually get one. Some of the legacy issues with which the Oireachtas and the RSA grappled have been put to bed. The investment has been made. The plea now is for accountability, delivery and follow through. We must not become complacent.
Our worst year was 1972 when 640 people were killed. Last year was the best year ever, but this year so far has been even better. I have provided a preliminary analysis on pages 17 and 18 with the most up-to-date figures possible. The top of page 18 shows the ages involved in road collision fatalities this year up to this morning, with some 34 people in the 21-25 age group. We must focus on that group. We are doing well with younger people, but five children under the age of five years have died, two of whom were car passengers and the remainder of whom were pedestrians. This is a disappointing figure, but it is a marked improvement. We are making progress, but more remains to be done with the younger age groups, particularly among men and motorists. Older drivers and pedestrians present an issue, although it will only start to kick in as we approach winter, which is when problems increase among that age group.
In terms of road user types, 90 drivers have been killed on our roads this year as of this morning, 27 pedestrians, 24 motorcyclists, 23 passengers and seven pedal cyclists. Pedal cyclists are predominantly being killed in Dublin city and large urban areas because of the blind spots of trucks and buses making left-hand turns.
May has been the worst month this year so far. I draw members' attention to page 19. The two-hour time slot between 6 p.m. and 8 p.m. has seen the most people killed, 22 in total. The worst time of the week remains the Saturday night-Sunday morning period.
In terms of contributory factors, many people who try to comment on road safety try for simple solutions. If I speak with older people, they say that it is down to boy racers. When I speak with younger people, they say that it is down to older people who cannot drive properly. People claim that it is down to drug driving or alcohol. However, there is rarely one factor. It usually involves a complex web of factors.
Speed remains the greatest contributory factor on our roads. Judging by Garda investigations between 1997 and 2007, 1,107 people were killed in speed-related collisions and a further 3,300 people were seriously injured, sending them into the health service and possibly long-term care. Using the Goodbody model, the economic cost to society of speed-related collisions in that period was €350 million.
Speed at the point of impact determines the outcome. Speed-related collisions occur on the same stretches of road. The sooner we have privately operated safety cameras in situ and enforcing with the public aware of them, the better. For every week that those cameras are not present, collisions will occur. There is no doubt but that dealing with speed enforcement will significantly reduce our death and injury rates. The Garda Síochána’s traffic corps has ramped up its enforcement and taken the delivery of new equipment, but even that is not enough and the corps is unable to handle the number of sites involved. I am disappointed that we have not got safety cameras in place. The sooner they are in place, the better. As the weeks go by, there will be more collisions, each of which has a human and economic cost. Alcohol is a contributory factor in four in ten collisions on Irish roads. The literature on the effects of alcohol is extensive and there is absolutely no arguing with that, although vested interests try to argue that collisions have nothing to do with alcohol but with other issues. It is a complex mix of issues. I can point to 112 scientific works that have been peer-reviewed and these show that impairment starts with very low levels of alcohol. In laboratory conditions, people show signs of impairment with a level of alcohol much lower than 0.5 mg. I just received more research that examines other countries and I will pass that on to the clerk.
The major issue when driving is impairment and it is different for every single one of us. There is no one size fits all, we all metabolise alcohol in a different way. It depends on the amount one drinks, one's mood, the amount one has eaten and how tired one is. There is no doubt in the literature that ten of the 11 functions required to drive are proven to be impaired in laboratory and road tests at the level of 0.4 mg, correlating to a blood alcohol concentration of 40. Hence, our recommendation of moving the limit to 50.
The recommendation to change to 50 is based on the answers of every item of scientific research we could find, both for and against. The leading medical, crash prevention, public health and traffic safety organisations around the world recommend a blood alcohol concentration level of at least 50. This includes the World Medical Organisation, the American and British Medical Associations, the European Commission, the European Transport Safety Council, the World Health Organisation and the American College of Emergency Physicians. There is no doubt that if Ireland reduces its blood alcohol concentration level to 50 for all drivers, and further to 20 for novice drivers while learning and in the first two years of driving and for professionals such as bus drivers, taxi drivers and truck drivers, we will reduce the number of collisions and their severity. The literature supports this idea and the evidence is available.
The task of the Road Safety Authority was to examine the evidence and make our recommendation. We have made a recommendation and it is important that all sides of the argument are heard. I would like to have a full session with the committee to go through all the evidence, for and against. It is a topic that requires the literature to be understood.
The history of breath alcohol limits in Ireland is interesting. Until 1968 there was no limit. The Davitt commission sat in 1961 and recommended a blood alcohol concentration level of 125. This was not implemented until 1968. As part of the recommendations, two members submitted a minority report. One was a professor from Trinity, one from UCD. At that stage they claimed the evidence suggested the limit should be 50 but 125 was chosen. In 1974 the limit was set at 100 and in 1994 it was reduced to the current level of 80. It is interesting to examine the media coverage at the time and the debates in these Houses. The same idea was put forward each time. I read one Dáil debate where it was argued that 40% of pubs would close if the limit was reduced to 80. That did not happen and it will not happen this time. It is a policy measure that I strongly suggest people examine. The debate should happen and the task of the Road Safety Authority in a democracy is to present the evidence. It is the task of the Oireachtas to decide the appropriate level. If the committee is minded, I would like to host it at my offices or I can return here to go through the evidence page by page. The committee may wish to consider those who published research internationally or in Ireland. I can revert to this if the committee wishes.
We are increasing the safety belt usage rates. We have among the best rates for use of safety belts in the front of vehicles in Europe. In the back of vehicles it is not as good but it is improving. Not wearing safety belts is particularly an issue among young teenagers. Use of safety belts on school buses is of serious concern to me. Primary school children are wearing safety belts but, once they move to second level school, it is no longer cool and the belts are not being worn despite the lessons from Kentstown and the fitting of safety belts on all such school buses. The level of vandalism, including cutting belts and the breaking of the belt mechanism, is significant. We are struggling getting that message to young people and we must redouble our efforts with parents, schools and young people.
Driver fatigue is one of the main contributory factors to 20% of fatal crashes in Ireland. The best evidence is from Professor Horne at Loughborough University and shows that driving while experiencing fatigue is as dangerous as driving with a blood alcohol concentration level of 80. I am disappointed to hear that the serviced rest areas are not proceeding as fast as they might. Anyone who leaves Dublin driving a heavy goods vehicle, a coach or a car needs a break by the time they have driven one or two hours. There are not enough safe and secure places for men and women, whether social drivers or commercial drivers, to stop and take a break. In hours of darkness, particularly with motorways and dual carriageways, people do not know where to go, what towns to turn into, where to park and where one is safe. Many local authorities have erected barriers to deal with problems of illegal camping on what were traditionally lay-bys. I understand the problems local authorities have but this has deprived commercial vehicles of a safe place to park. We could easily return to the 1960s, with people crashing into unlit parked trucks. We have had this in the past and we cannot go back. I make a strong plea to get public private partnerships or some way to get safe, secure parking areas opened up. There are commercial opportunities here. One sees safe places where people can make money if they offer services to travellers and trucks.
Drug impaired driving is an issue we referred to on the last occasion. Professor Cusack, at the Medical Bureau of Road Safety, is the best person to talk to the committee about drugs and driving in Ireland. He has published research and he has access to toxicology reports. The forthcoming road traffic Bill includes action on the introduction of field impairment testing. Gardaí could require drivers at the roadside to undertake a field impairment test. I am told the training programme has been finalised to train gardaí in the traffic corps to recognise the signs and symptoms of drugs. This will assist at the roadside so that they can go on to require a urine or blood sample. There is still no reliable, robust handheld roadside device. Various devices are being piloted but the range of drugs is such that it is difficult. Legislation has been passed and blood or urine samples will address the issue. Gardaí will now be trained in drug recognition at the roadside and hopefully the Bill will provide the field impairment testing, which is important. We cannot wait for a magical handheld device.
Members of the Garda Síochána will be able to explain the content of the training and the prosecutions they have had so far. Successful prosecutions have been undertaken for drug impaired driving. The challenge for the Garda Síochána is first to prove the presence of the substance, such as cannabis, cocaine or amphetamines, and then to prove that the driver was impaired. Knowing that heroin or cocaine was in the body is not enough to have a driver disqualified; impairment must be proved. Many countries have introduced per se legislation, meaning that the presence of a substance at a particular level is enough. Our legislation on alcohol is per se legislation because if the blood alcohol concentration is above a certain limit the Garda Síochána does not have to prove impairment. Per se legislation in respect of drugs would be welcomed by the Road Safety Authority. This must be done by the Department of Transport, the Department of Justice, Equality and Law Reform, the Medical Bureau of Road Safety and the Garda Síochána. We will participate in trying to get this work done, which would make the job of the Garda Síochána much easier. It would act as a serious deterrent to someone who has consumed drugs, whether they be prescription drugs, over the counter drugs or illegal drugs. It is important that we do not wait several years for something to be developed. Hand-held devices undoubtedly will be introduced, whether based on testing saliva or another method deemed appropriate by Professor Cusack and his experts, but we can take certain steps in the meantime.
When I last appeared before the committee, I noted that the budget for our drug awareness programme had been removed in 2008. I was specifically invited to speak about budget reductions today. Unfortunately, our budget has been further reduced by €2.4 million and I am not in a position to run an anti-drug driving awareness campaign in 2009. However, prices for advertising have significantly decreased and we are now able to buy TV, radio and cinema slots for much less than was the case when I last appeared before the committee in January. We are making up ground in that regard. We are not able to produce our own material but I am considering advertisements produced in Australia and the UK with a view to purchasing and redubbing them in Ireland. I am confident that we will put in place an anti-drug driving campaign in the early part of 2010. It is a glaring gap in our education efforts.
The HSE could do much more through its public health function to make young people and parents aware of the various drugs currently available, the impairment they cause and their signs and symptoms. Unfortunately, many young people are engaged in polydrug use. For example, they are ingesting cocaine before drinking a bottle or two of lager in a nightclub or smoking cannabis to bring themselves down. The combination of these drugs creates certain issues. Imagine the difficulty of testing for a combination of cocaine, alcohol and God knows what else. Professor Cusack's work has shown this is a serious issue among young Irish men and women. I am sure gardaí would testify that it also causes public order issues in towns throughout the country but it definitely is a problem in respect of driving. Good education backed up with enforcement is needed. It would be folly to await the introduction of some sort of magical device. We have enough with which to proceed. I am pleased to be told that field impairment testing is provided for in the road traffic Bill 2009 and that the syllabus for training has been agreed. Perhaps the Garda or Professor Cusack can address the matter in more detail.
In regard to road types, we welcome the opening of several new motorways and dual carriageways. These are the safest types of road because vulnerable road users are segregated and drivers do not have to turn right across oncoming traffic. However, I caution members that 3% of fatalities in 2007 were attributed to road conditions. In harsh economic times, I am concerned that road maintenance, including road surfaces, signing and lining, gritting, traffic lighting and verges, will slip down the agenda. Some of these works are old fashioned and low technology but if they are not done we will see an increase in road factor related collisions. Managing that risk is a challenge for local authorities but maintaining what we have is more important at present than building new roads. The phenomenal investment over several years has saved lives as well as shortened journey times but we need to find ways of maintaining the quality of the network.
The Oireachtas has given us permission to proceed with many elements of the road safety strategy. The rules of the road have been published in five languages and in interactive formats. We have made good progress in reforming the driver licensing regime in Ireland. This was not popular at the time but people can see in hindsight that 200,000 fewer people are on learner permits now than was the case two years ago. A mere 50,000 people are waiting for driving tests and only 21,000 have not been given dates. We have regulated the driving instruction industry. Last year we conducted 474,000 driving tests and so far this year we have conducted 111,878. We have conducted more tests than we have had applicants this year. We are pleased to be in that position, particularly given that so many young people are leaving the country. It is important that they can get a driving licence either to travel or to find employment.
The driving instruction industry was previously unregulated and anybody could claim to be a driving instructor. We have now developed a fully accredited driving scheme and anyone who teaches driving for reward must be registered with the Road Safety Authority. Instructors have been vetted by the Garda and are of good repute. Their cars must be fit for purpose and insured, they have undertaken a three-part exam comprising theory, practice and ability to teach and they are all tax compliant. This is a phenomenal step forward in respect of people who in many cases have been teaching for 20 or 30 years. In fairness to them, they rose to the challenge. There are 1,623 fully registered driving instructors in Ireland and a further 967 are undertaking the three-part exam. On a word of caution, however, there is a risk of oversupply in some areas. Some people enter this trade thinking that money can be made from it but some areas have too many instructors for the available level of business. People should do their market research before they enter the business.
In terms of whether the case has been proven for regulating the driver instruction industry, I would answer "Yes". Of those who took the theory test, 26% failed. Is it any wonder that 50% of people fail their driving tests if their instructors did not know the theory? The good news is that 74% passed. Approximately 20% failed the practical test and a smaller number did not display evidence of the ability to teach. However, we can now be confident that instructors are of the top quality. They receive a FETAC level 6 qualification which is internationally recognised. That is a critical building block in introducing compulsory basic training because once we know we have quality instructors we can require learner drivers to complete the syllabus with approved instructors. That is the case in most other European countries.
Graduated driver licensing has received considerable media coverage in terms of whether we would recommend night-time curfews but that is not our thinking. We published a consultation document which explicitly sets out all the factors we could find around the world for graduated licensing. These included restrictions such as reduced alcohol levels, night-time curfews for learners, increased penalty points, hazard perceptions and limits on passengers. Our recommendations will include reducing the alcohol level to 20 mg for all learner drivers and increasing the number of penalty points for drivers while they are learning and in their first two years. Our intention is to create a culture of compliance rather than recklessness or speeding. We also want to introduce hazard perception testing as part of the driver theory test, which is the practice in the UK and elsewhere. We will make the driving test more comprehensive so that it will address night-time and motorway driving.
I do not believe more restrictive measures such as curfews or a ban on the carriage of passengers are appropriate in Ireland. Given the make up of our country, and rural areas in particular, such restrictions would prevent compliant young people from commuting to college or work. While they are in place in other countries, I do not think a case can be made for them here. However, I would love a judge to have the ability to impose a night-time curfew, engine size restriction or passenger ban on a learner driver who has transgressed by engaging in reckless behaviour. The vast majority of young people have made huge strides in using the roads safely and we should not penalise them. We hope to bring our formal recommendations to the Minister by the end of October. Primary legislation will be required to give a Minister power to add these conditions to licences.
We have carried out a very detailed consultation on drivers' fitness to drive. This concerns the issue of older drivers or people with disabilities. We have been working very closely with the driver licensing authority in the UK, the DVLA, which has agreed to allow us use its medical procedures manuals. We had good submissions back from the epilepsy groups, Age Action Ireland and other bodies. We hope to be able to promote mobility and allow as many people as possible to continue driving for as long as possible. We also hope to give the medical profession more guidance on what aids, assistance and adaptations can be given to motorists to keep them mobile rather than restricting them. We hope to bring forward our formal recommendations to the Minister by the end of November 2009.
Driver vocational training comes from a European directive which all European countries are required to implement. Every bus and truck driver must not alone have a basic driving licence but have continuous professional development. The regulation came into effect for buses and coaches on 9 September 2008 and two weeks ago for truck drivers. The directive requires that every such driver would do 35 hours every five years and in Ireland we have gone slightly further by breaking this down and mandated seven hours every year. We were fearful all the training would be left until the last year and the training industry could not survive based on people trying to do it all in one year. That is the experience we have had with some other interventions. I am pleased to report that this is being implemented in full and on time and the syllabus is well regarded in Europe.
I have outlined the various actions we are taking with public awareness campaigns in the document; I do not want to spend too much time going through all these pieces. I have touched on the blood alcohol level issue, as well as speeding. The national car test has driven up the standard of maintenance of the privately owned Irish fleet. It was massively unpopular when first implemented but I am confident in saying it has driven up the standard of the fleet.
Compliance with the national car test and enforcement of roadworthiness was clearly not what it should be. It is believed that in 1.5% of the fatal collisions in 2007, the main issue was a vehicle factor. When the changes were announced by the Minister in April there was a flood of people trying to book NCTs and with 69% of the people who came forward to book a test, their certification had been expired for more than a year or even two. Those people are now in the system and although there are pressures in a number of test centres in getting people through, there are staff in place and the issue will be dealt with.
The current provider of the NCT is an Irish company called SGS Ireland, which is a subsidiary of a Swedish company. It had a ten-year contract worth in excess of €400 million to that company. We were obliged to carry out a public procurement process and a new company will be taking over on 4 January. That company is Applus+, a Spanish company which is one of the biggest vehicle testing companies in the world. We are busy dealing with the transfer of the service and the introduction of some new items into the test. For example, from January there will be a testing of the noise emissions from vehicles in order to deal with the scourge in housing estates up and down the country where people are being kept awake at night by noisy modified exhausts. People may be harassed or bullied on the road by people with those types of vehicle.
We will also be testing the opacity of windscreens to deal with excessive tinting. This is important because at the scene of an incident the gardaí may not know how many people were in a car and if a person is cycling, walking or on a motorcycle, it is not possible to make eye contact at a junction with the driver if the windows are blacked out. There are real road safety issues and it is not just a case of trying to inconvenience people.
A certain level of tinting will be allowed but too much tinting is not good. Trying to look through excessively tinted windows at dusk and early morning is like driving at night with sunglasses on; it does not make sense. It may become a fashion sometimes. The Garda is currently out to tender for hand-held opacity and noise meters so they can follow up on the roadside the standard we are setting at the NCT. There will be people who will change an exhaust, do the NCT and then put back on the other exhaust, and the gardaí will now be equipped to deal with them.
I have much sympathy for a garda trying to deal with an excessively loud vehicle because he or she may be in court trying to argue that a car was noisy and the defendant would argue the opposite. With new noise meters, they will be able to determine the noise level in decibels. Anybody who has a car with the type of exhaust fitted when the car was made has nothing to worry about but the person who fits a "paint pot" exhaust will have to worry about it.
Deputies asked me about the use of agricultural and work vehicles on the public road. We made our recommendations to the Department of Transport and we await direction.
