Seanad Éireann debate -
Wednesday, 22 May 1996

Vol. 147 No. 8

Road Safety: Motion.

Mr. Calnan

I move:

That Seanad Éireann notes the continuing efforts of the Minister for the Environment in his efforts to reduce the number of fatalities and accidents on the roads; and welcomes his new guide to road safety in Ireland as a welcome contribution in tackling this major problem.

There have always been deaths on the road. A small headline in a newspaper stated recently that road fatalities show increases. It reported that the number of deaths on Irish roads for the first three months of the year increased from 81 in 1995 to 91 in 1996. The size of the headline was small but the numbers were not. In 1995, 437 died and over 9,000 people were injured as a result of road accidents in Ireland. That is the worst death rate since 1991, representing an average of 36 per month. The injury numbers, though showing a marginal improvement, do not offer much comfort. The reality is that the vast majority of these accidents could have been avoided by road users, whether it be drivers, pedestrians, cyclists or motor cyclists.

There is a tendency in this country to take road traffic accidents for granted. It is true that they have always existed and always will. However, as a society we have a duty to minimise the number of accidents on our roads. To this end I congratulate the Minister on the measures he announced earlier this month. The Minister is absolutely correct to identify the number of deaths and injuries from road traffic accidents in this State as unacceptable and to make an issue of this problem despite the high level of public indifference to it. I welcome him to the House and commend him on the stand he has taken on this issue.

Earlier this month the Minister published two campaigns on the area of road accidents —Road Safety Together, a campaign to promote road safety awareness and a guide to road safety engineering in Ireland. Both have been compiled after extensive consultation with the Department of Justice, the Garda Síochána, the National Roads Authority, the National Safety Council and the Irish Insurance Federation. All are agreed on the importance of emphasising the responsibility of the road user. The cost of insurance claims and litigation is tremendous. If it could be reduced, it would reduce the cost of policies for road users. Any increases will only increase the cost of insurance for everybody.

The measures announced in this plan involve a transference of responsibility for road safety to the county councils. Local authorities already play a significant role in the promotion of road safety. They are involved in everything from road construction to the school warden system. Under the new scheme local authorities have agreed to take on more responsibility for road safety. In addition the Minister envisages the establishment of local authority led teams comprising engineers, gardaí and teachers to promote road safety at a local level. The obvious advantage of such an approach is that the focus of delivery will be at the most appropriate level.

The school warden system has got off to a great start. Not only do they regulate traffic flow, they also increase awareness among young people of dangers on the road. The young wardens involved in carrying out this work see for themselves the dangers facing the public. They are on the crossings, taking up positions, being watchful of traffic and allowing their school mates to move from the schoolyard across the road in safety. I compliment the work done by the county road safety officers together with sponsors and the teachers in the schools who monitor the day to day running of the scheme. It is good to see young people taking care. They are glad to have the responsibility and it will do them and everybody else good. These measures complement the media campaign to be run by the National Safety Council. That campaign will highlight the dangers of drink driving and speeding and should be targeted especially at young drivers, whose involvement in accidents is disproportionate to the number on the road.

I welcome the initiatives underway in relation to driving training. The driving tests and the registration of driving instructors should go some way to improving the standard of new drivers and should impact considerably on the quality of new drivers coming on to the road. Hopefully, it will also mean a reduction in the large number of road traffic offences which must be dealt with by the courts.

The publication of the guide to road safety engineering is also welcome. Its purpose is to provide information to local authorities on how they can minimise road accidents on new roads in their areas. We have seen considerable improvements in the quality of our roads, both nationally and locally. This improvement is set to continue, thanks again to the recent package announced by the Minister for further work on our non-national roads. It involves a record amount of money. I thank and compliment the Minister for giving this money to the local authorities to improve the standard of our county roads over a number of years. I support the Minister's decision to ensure that these roads will be subject to close scrutiny with a view to reducing their capacity to cause accidents.

The plan also seeks to compile statistics relating to road accidents in single areas or along certain routes to identify areas where remedial work is required. It seeks to address these problems by the implementation of relatively low cost engineering measures. Very often there are certain bends along rural roads which are noted for their danger. Locals know them but strangers coming into an area will not be aware of the danger. A small amount of work, such as removing a fence or obstacles like trees and branches, can improve the sight distance. We should earmark areas for such work. Small improvements could make a big difference.

It can cost a large amount of money to remove or improve a bridge or a dangerous section of rock. However, if sight distance was improved to enable people to see what is coming, it could make a great difference and alleviate the problems. This would go a long way towards stopping accidents on the small and narrow roads throughout our countryside. On occasion improvement works are carried out and one then has long stretches of very good road. As a result, people settle into driving at a reasonable speed, when all of a sudden they are faced with a bottleneck such as a bend, a bridge or a humpback, and could have a crash as a result. We need to have those improved or highlighted in a better way.

Speed limits are put on straight stretches of road in the approach to towns. It is my firm conviction that these only encourage people to break the law. One can have a stretch of road with a hard shoulder and a straight footpath. Because there are a few houses on that stretch of road a 40 miles per hour speed limit is imposed, but cars often travel along there at a higher speed — although people are obliged to comply with road signs they often do not. We should consider carefully before imposing 30 miles per hour and 40 miles per hour speed limits which will be disregarded.

Signposting is not properly standardised throughout the country — for example, different areas have different signs to indicate that there is work ahead. Also, signs are sometimes left on roads after the work has been done, which makes people think that even though the sign is up, there may be nothing ahead. We must consider these factors if we want to avoid accidents.

The Minister's package is a comprehensive package to deal with the dangers posed to road users in this State. As his press release states, it addresses the four main areas for the promotion of road safety, or the "four Es"— engineering, enforcement, education and encouragement. As a result of this package, I have no doubt that people who might otherwise have been killed will survive. Rather than viewing this as a piecemeal measure, the House should welcome and endorse this important step.

Mr. Wall

I second the motion. I am delighted the Minister is here for the debate and I congratulate him on his initiative in implementing the scheme. I am pleased to contribute to this debate and am glad that the Minister has taken this topic on board for serious consideration. I congratulate him for putting it on our agenda.

We are inclined to be offhand about road safety. When a person is killed in a road accident we lament the loss and go about our business until it happens again. Regrettably, many accidents are still drink related. There is a greater awareness of the risks and consequences associated with drink driving, but some people are still irresponsible and put the lives of others at risk by driving when they are not in a fit condition to do so.

The Minister is putting an emphasis on the contribution which local authorities can make in this area and I am very much in favour of that. As members of local authorities we complain from time to time that we do not have a role. However, this is an area where a local authority can take an initiative to do what it can to reduce the risks to life and limb resulting from road accidents. In this regard I also support the Minister's suggestion that a properly co-ordinated effort at local level between the local authority, gardaí, teachers and others could make a significant contribution to road safety.

A special effort should be made to target young road users in order to drive home the message of road safety. The National Safety Council would support local initiatives of the kind referred to above in teaching the young about civic responsibility, consideration for and courtesy to others in the use of the public roads, and the simplest but most vital of all the safety messages — if you drink, do not drive.

County Kildare is covered with motorways and dual carriageways and there is an urgent need for speed controls on these roads. In recent weeks two people were killed and a number seriously injured within 100 yards of each other in Kill. As someone who uses those roads several times a week, I think it imperative that we introduce automatic camera speed controls as seen in other countries. It is not unusual for cars to travel at 90 to 100 miles per hour along those roads and it is frightening to see those speeds on dual carriageways. This should be reviewed as soon as possible. Automatic cameras are a necessity if we are to avoid fatalities — at present we are only seeing the tip of the iceberg, because the N7 and N9 are becoming the race tracks of Europe.

While the topic of road safety may not ignite debate in this House, it is as important as any that the Minister will bring here during his period in the Department of the Environment. He is doing us proud as a Minister and his approach to this issue is in keeping with his outstanding record.

Minister for the Environment (Mr. Howlin)

I thank those Senators who have spoken so far and sincerely welcome this opportunity to speak to the House about the continuing efforts of my Department and the Government to improve road safety and to reduce the daily toll of death and injury that is an unfortunate feature of traffic on our roads. While the trend in numbers of fatalities has been downwards in the 1990s when compared to the 1980s, this is small comfort to the families and friends of the 437 people who died and the 9,000 injured in road accidents in 1995. The sad reality is that most of those accidents could have been avoided by the road user — the driver, pedestrian, cyclist or motorcyclist.

The summer of 1995 had a particularly bad record for road accident deaths and injuries. While I cannot offer scientific reasons for that seasonal increase, I can point out that speed and drink driving were highlighted as significant contributory factors to accidents in that period. Because of my unease about that alarming increase, I had a review of road safety policy carried out under the auspices of my Department's high level group on road safety. Inputs to the review were made by the Department of Justice, the Garda, the National Roads Authority, the National Safety Council and the Irish Insurance Federation. The agencies and bodies involved all agreed that it is necessary to focus on working together to increase the effectiveness of their engineering, enforcement, education and encouragement measures, to highlight the responsibility of the road user and to continue to seek new ways to tackle and, we hope, to resolve the problem.

In presenting the results of the assessment on 16 May, I focused on the theme "Road Safety Together". I outlined a set of road safety measures which are to be implemented over the coming months, all aimed at improving the standard of safety on our roads through the prevention and reduction of accidents. I also announced the publication by my Department of a guide to road safety engineering in Ireland which is already becoming known as the "blackspots manual". I have arranged to have copies of this placed in the Oireachtas Library. The guide is a code of good practice for the treatment of high accident stretches of roads by means of low-cost engineering measures. It is for use mainly by local authority engineers, technicians and draughtsmen and will assist them with advice and guidance in identifying, analysing and treating high risk sections of road and dealing with accident blackspots on the road network.

The guide explains how accidents happen. It describes the importance of good quality statistical data on accidents and how such data can be stored and used for identifying and diagnosing road accident problems. Valuable advice is also provided for local authorities on road safety planning and on the development of a road safety strategy for their areas of responsibility.

Engineering solutions to both accident reduction and prevention are explored. The suggested approaches to accident reduction are based on ways of intervening where there is a known high accident record. Accident prevention is more likely to be related to new roads or improvement schemes where there are potential risks associated with their design or construction. For each category, detailed advice is given as to how to identify, analyse, prioritise and treat the problem. Case studies, diagrams and photographs are used to illustrate the various types of situation covered. Guidance is also given on monitoring the effectiveness of remedial measures implemented. This is most important in these days when there is a high demand for value for money from all public expenditure.

While the guide concentrates to a large extent on methods of reducing the number and severity of accidents, it also places a strong emphasis on accident prevention. For this, a systematic means of safety checking is recommended in the course of the design process of new roads; for the situation where road improvements are being carried out; and to deal with cases where there are no accident records.

Some of these measures will have already been noted by Members of the House as they travel around the country. The National Roads Authority invested £750,000 last year and has budgeted for expenditure of £1 million this year on these remedial measures. They have the short term impact of accident reduction and the long-term impact of accident prevention. But this is only one of the angles from which we are endeavouring to combat the scourge of road accidents causing injury and death.

Education is in many ways the most important element of our road safety activities. It is the means by which we hope to influence behaviour in the longer term. That is why my Department, the National Safety Council and the Health Promotion Unit in the Department of Health are making a new input to the school curriculum on road safety. It is never too early to start.

It is a known and worrying fact that young people feature disproportionately in Ireland's road accident statistics. Having regard to both the long term and short term impacts of our road safety activities, we must look to parents as well as schools to help to change attitude and behaviour, and to help us, with our young people, to build a more road safe future for us all.

I have announced two other road safety education measures. First, with the National Safety Council I am supporting financially the establishment of a voluntary register of driving instructors. Instructors are currently being examined for the purpose of qualifying for this register. The aim is to have the first group of qualified instructors giving instruction next month. I hope the scheme will raise the standard of instruction generally, provide for some reduction in the cost of car insurance for novice drivers, and in particular for young drivers, and that the resultant improvement in driver standards will contribute to safer use of our roads. In essence, the idea is that the Irish Insurance Federation will provide cheaper insurance to those young people who have undertaken an agreed number of lessons from instructors who have qualified under the approved scheme.

Second, because the scope of the theory element of the driving test currently operated in this country is not sufficiently broad to meet the latest European Union standards, I will make regulations this year to introduce a theory test for new drivers in accordance with EU requirements. It is my belief that both the new theory test I propose to introduce and the register of driving instructors which is well on the way to being put in place will contribute significantly to raising the standard of new driver education, especially among young drivers, and that these measures will impact positively in the medium and long-term on road safety in Ireland.

As Senator Calnan said, speeding continues to be highlighted as a major contributory factor in road accidents. We are not just talking about exceeding speed limits, but also about inappropriate speed for the prevailing conditions. By law a driver must not drive a vehicle at a speed exceeding that which will enable him or her to stop within the distance he or she can see to be clear. Can any or all of us put our hands on our hearts and declare honestly that we always comply with this requirement?

I will take this opportunity to quote to you from the latest National Safety Council radio advertisement on speeding. It says very bluntly and clearly: "Wise up. Slow down. Expect the unexpected". We all think we can handle speed, but when the unexpected happens we cannot. Too many people discover this to their cost, in serious injury or even death.

The analysis of road accident reports for last summer, carried out at my request by the National Roads Authority, pointed once again to speed and drink driving as being significant contributory factors to road accidents. While all road users are vulnerable, the analysis highlighted the fact that young road users, pedestrians and motorcyclists are particularly at risk.

The media campaigns of the National Safety Council are designed to raise public awareness of road safety, to remind road users of the dangers, and to encourage safer driving and safer use of our roads. The council, which is financially supported by my Department and by the Irish Insurance Federation, has taken the results of the 1995 analysis into account in planning its media campaign for this year. A new TV advertisement on the drink driving theme will be screened in June. The new radio advertisements dealing with the risks of speeding, which I have already quoted from, are already running.

The council will also target elderly pedestrians, motorcyclists and schoolchildren in various campaigns throughout the year. While the National Safety Council will be highlighting drink driving and speeding on TV and radio over the summer months, the Garda will be out there to enforce these messages on the ground. I have spoken directly to the Deputy Garda Commissioner on this matter and he has given me an absolute assurance that there will be strict enforcement to do what the Garda can to ensure that last summer's increase in fatalities and accidents are not repeated this year. Enforcement of traffic law is critical to increasing road safety levels and there is a continuing need for unrelenting attention to this by the Garda, who have promised vigorous and sustained enforcement in 1996.

It has been said that a careful driver is one who has just spotted the traffic police. I am pleased, therefore, that the Garda Síochána have planned a range of activities for the months ahead, including a continued focus on speeding, drink driving, dangerous driving and not wearing seat belts. For my part, I instructed my Department some time ago to work with the Department of Justice and the Garda Síochána on the introduction of a system of on-the-spot fines for speeding offences. We hope to have this in place before too long. I envisage that the system will be applied to more minor transgressions of speed limits rather than to serious offences where prosecutions should not be avoided. The amount of the fine will be pitched in such a way as to encourage voluntary payment and, at the same time, to ensure that the penalty fits the severity of the crime. It is our ambition to get gardaí out of the courts, so that they are not spending their time trying to prosecute cases, and onto the streets to carry out the critical job of enforcing the law.

Significant changes in drink driving laws introduced in 1994 and 1995, combined with intensive media campaigns by the National Safety Council and enforcement campaigns by the Garda Síochána, have brought about a welcome change in attitude and behaviour in relation to drink driving, especially over the Christmas period. This was not reflected, however, in the summer of 1995, as was indicated in the accident analysis I have already mentioned. As a result, the National Safety Council and the Garda will intensify their anti-drink driving campaigns this summer to remind road users of the risks and to crack down on those who break the law.

Most of the initiatives which I have described are coming from the centre. Although they will have widespread application and effect, there is scope for a unified road safety effort by both public and private interests at local level, including sponsorship of campaigns. It makes sense for road safety campaigns to be related, wherever possible, to local circumstances and to the local environment.

I welcome the support of local authorities for my request for an enhanced involvement by them in road safety efforts. Their strength lies particularly in their closeness to local communities. There is great scope for them to maximise their influence locally in support of road safety promotion.

While much has been and is being done at local level, activity is often carried out by one agency in isolation from the activities of others. I have already spoken about co-ordinating efforts at national level, and have put measures in train; but it is also important that this should permeate outwards and downwards. The model I now propose is the local authority, through specially designated officers, leading a local working group involving engineers, the Garda Síochána, teachers and others to promote road safety locally.

I will be providing further assistance to local authorities later this year with the publication of a new traffic signs manual and the making of traffic and parking regulations. The manual will provide traffic engineers with full information on all aspects of road signage in Ireland, including the standards required to ensure that road users receive a message clearly and in good time. It should impact positively on road safety by setting the high standards for signposting which are necessary for a safe and efficient road network.

I propose to make new general traffic regulations which will replace all existing general and local traffic, parking bye-laws and temporary rules. These regulations will have the effect of consolidating road traffic controls into a single understandable code and will streamline and simplify their administration.

In summary, we will have more of the four "E's" that Senator Calnan spoke about — enforcement of the law by the Garda Síochána; engineering by the local authorities to deal with accident blackspots, and education and encouragement by schools and the National Safety Council, to bring about an attitudinal and behavioural change. The enhanced co-ordination role of local authorities will help to focus this activity at local and regional level.

It is now up to road users to play their critical role. The organisations I have outlined cannot do the job alone. An effective road safety programme means all of us working together to reduce accident numbers and the resulting deaths and injuries, which are totally unacceptable and continue to occur on our roads system.

Mr. Daly

We do not intend to oppose the motion. Any constructive suggestions from the Minister to help deal with the carnage of accidents on our roads will be supported by this side of the House. We are not going to play party politics with this matter as it is too serious.

For a number of years successive Ministers for the Environment have campaigned vigorously to reduce the number of deaths on Irish roads. Road safety campaigns, public advertising programmes, new legislation and many other methods have been used in an effort to minimise the number of road deaths and injuries. Each new campaign has been publicly promoted, but the toll of death and injury continues to rise, bringing tragedy and misery to many families and pain to thousands of people each year. As Senator Calnan said when proposing the motion, every year over 400 people die in road accidents and over 10,000 people are injured, many of them for life. Those in wheelchairs are testimony to the tragedy we have seen on our roads over the years.

The continuing high level of death and injury is a cause of deep concern and no effort must be spared in attempting to reduce the carnage. The 1994 legislation, which was introduced by the then Minister for the Environment, Deputy Michael Smith, reduced alcoholic levels for driving and was the subject of much criticism at the time. Nevertheless, it focused public attention on the dangers of driving with excess alcohol more than any other legislation which was introduced in the past ten or 20 years. The early signs of the impact and effect of that legislation were very positive.

The international trend has been towards eliminating drinking and driving completely. We have to work towards that situation. Driving-related accidents seem to be a major factor in road deaths. No effort must be spared in eliminating drinking and driving. No words of ours here could adequately express our deepest sympathy and understanding to all those who have lost relatives and friends in tragic accidents. Laws, penalties and campaigns alone will not end these tragedies. The public will have to accept drinking and driving is a recipe for catastrophe, and it must end.

Roads are the dominant internal transport system in Ireland. Successive reports have indicated substantial investment is needed to put them in a reasonably sound state of repair. In Ireland we have 92,300 kilometres of roads, which is twice that of Belgium, Denmark and France and three times that of Italy and Spain. Ninety per cent of all goods and 96 per cent of all passengers are transported by road. A number of major deficiencies have been identified in our roads network, and the volumes of heavy, tourist and other traffic are likely to increase substantially in the next few years.

The deficiencies already identified in a number of reports — the most comprehensive of which was, I think, in 1980 — demonstrates the necessity for large scale public investment in our roads network. Unless this is done in a more accelerated way, we will continue to have more accidents arising from the poor design, surfaces and quality of the whole network; 6 per cent of our national primary and secondary roads carry 37 per cent of all road traffic, and the volumes of traffic are increasing.

One of the major contributions the present Minister could make would be to put substantial national and community funding into the development of our roads network. We can then eliminate some of the hazards and trouble spots which have been the cause of so many tragic accidents over successive years. I acknowledge the Minister has played his part in this regard. I do not disagree with what he is doing. We had a number of resolutions here last year requesting the Minister to provide increased funding, especially for county and side roads. To some extent the Minister did deal with our concerns and made a substantial increase in capital available to local authorities to enable them to carry out the work. In spite of that, the poor state of roads has been a contributing factor to the huge increase in accidents. It will be constantly necessary for the Minister to campaign with his colleagues in Government to direct more State finances into the development of our road network and the signposting and removal of trouble spots identified by many speakers here.

I compliment the Minister on his initiative in co-ordinating the activities of the various agencies and Government Departments involved in road safety. The National Safety Council has been fighting what some may feel is a losing battle over the past number of years. Nevertheless, we cannot allow defeatism to creep in. We have to find ways to improve the overall approach of dealing with this problem. I am glad the Minister is introducing new initiatives, but I query the wisdom of introducing on-the-spot fines for speeding offences. These will not contribute to the reduction of speed levels. I think they will have the opposite effect. Invariably, people who travel at high speed in high powered cars can afford to pay £50, £60, £100 or £500. They do not want the embarrassment of a court appearance, which would be a deterrent. As a person who has been regularly driving the main Dublin-Limerick road for 25 years——

Mr. Howlin

Long may it last.

Mr. Daly

——I can assure the Minister he will find people who drive above the speed limit on the dual carriageway, travel in high powered cars and can afford to pay an on the spot fine. The deterrent of the court would be more effective.

There are other issues that need to be dealt with. One which causes quite an amount of concern is joggers. A pattern has developed in the last few years for jogging on some of our main roads. I am not sure what the statistics are in that regard in relation to accidents, but I would ban joggers from jogging along main thoroughfares, which are busy and where there is a risk to themselves and others.

There is also a pattern of tourists being involved in serious accidents. I have seen many of them around the Shannon bypass. We have substantially invested in the roads there. Nevertheless, people come to Shannon, hire out a car and, if they come from the United States, drive out on the right hand side of the road. From my recollection, there is only one sign between the airport and the main dual carriageway to indicate that you drive on the left side of the road in Ireland. This is particularly important because many of the very tragic accidents involved people driving hired cars on the wrong side of the dual carriageway. I do not want to identify particular cases; that is not the best way to approach this issue.

The dangers for young and old walking at night have got to be underlined. Despite all the tragedies and the bad accidents we have seen, we still find people walking unidentified late at night on our roads. I do not know how the Minister can deal with this. In reality the main difficulty we have is from drivers, many of whom are young, speeding at night and having consumed alcohol. If the Minister can tackle and solve that, he will have made a major contribution towards reducing the carnage which has been devastating to many families over the past number of years.

Mr. Hayes

My party support this motion. Private Members' time provides us with an opportunity to highlight a national problem which is a concern for many public representatives.

In that context I was delighted to hear the Minister announce, reannounce and refocus a number of initiatives in his speech. The blackspot manual is innovative and will provide a useful reference point for many local authorities. I was delighted to hear the Minister announce the voluntary register of driving instructors. I understand precisely where he is coming from. This is an integrated plan to ensure young drivers are given a better deal. As public representatives we all know from working in constituencies the huge volume of complaints in that regard coming, and rightly so, from young people.

The Minister's announcement of a theory test for new drivers is to be welcomed. Our standards of instruction must be at the very top of the European league because that would lead to a higher standard of driving. I also welcome the Minister's announcement in relation to the campaigns of the National Safety Council and his emphasis on local authorities.

I would support Senator Daly's comments regarding on-the-spot fines. The issue is one of enforcement. If someone readily abusing the law by continually speeding is stopped on three or four occasions in a matter of three weeks or a month, they will stop doing so. It is also an excellent idea for freeing up the courts and ensuring there is the least possible amount of bureaucracy in this case.

I would like to widen the debate to include a number of other points. The biggest single contributor to road deaths in Ireland is speed. When this is added to the unfortunate but ambivalent attitude among many people in Ireland to the question of drinking and driving, policymakers, the Minister and all the agencies are faced with a lethal cocktail when trying to address the problem. The facts regarding road safety in Ireland speak bluntly for themselves. Last year, 437 people lost their lives as a result of road accidents. This figure represents the worst death rate since 1991 and averages out at 36 people per month. When one considers that over 9,000 people were injured during the same period it becomes obvious that road related deaths constitute the largest component of non medical deaths in Ireland. The figures outstrip accidental falls, suicide and other external causes of death. Every death and injury we have heard about this evening is completely preventable. Notwithstanding the huge economic implications and the considerable strains put on our health services, the whole area of road safety and the need to reduce speed on our highways is now a matter of national importance and concern.

One of the most startling features of road related deaths in Ireland is the huge numbers of young people between the ages of 15 and 25 who lose their lives. From the figures available we do not know whether they are the victims or the perpetrators of speeding. One thing is clear. Young males make up the largest group in road death statistics in our country. This needs to be addressed. Young people who get behind the wheel of a car or who sit for the first time on a motorbike need to be brought face to face with the power of that vehicle and, more importantly, with their responsibilities to other road users. This point must be brought home and must be at the centre of any national publicity campaign or any education campaign in our schools.

There are three separate issues which the Government could advance and which could help to reduce this problem. I fully concede that some of these issues are not within the brief of the Minister of the Environment, but I would ask him to advance them with his Government colleagues. First, it is high time the Government considered the employment of a special unit within the Garda or a new highway police force to tackle the problem of speeding on our roads. Everyone would agree that the expansion of the national road network over the last ten years has resulted in a dramatically improved road network. National primary routes of ten years ago are substantially different to today. Not alone have the speed restrictions changed but the number of lanes and the improved quality of road surfaces have helped to create during that time a road network of which we can all be proud. I wonder whether the present composition of the Garda Síochána, given the transformation of our roads over the same period, can address this problem of speeding. When one considers that in many small rural villages and towns the gardaí over the last five years have been replaced by a green box in a former Garda station, can we say that the response mechanisms to deal with the problem of speeding are in place? Constituting a special unit of the Garda or establishing an independent highway police force would help to modernise our response to the problem.

Second, I hope the Government might consider extending the scheme which was innovatively introduced a number of years ago to take out of service cars which were over ten years old. This scheme would decommission thousands of cars which are at best defective and at worst highly dangerous. We have seen an explosion in the small car market over the past two years and particularly cars ranging in the price of £7,000 to £8,000. We can rightly point out the benefits of this scheme in putting new modern cars on our roads. I understand that this scheme will end in December 1996. While the Government described this as a once off measure, the Minister for Finance should consider an extension of the scheme on the basis of road safety and improving the quality of vehicles on our road network.

A lunatic proposal has come from the National Roads Authority to toll the new link road around Dublin. This proposal would put back into the suburbs the traffic the new road was designed to take. From an environmental and safety perspective I ask the Minister to oppose this proposal. Those who represent the Dublin suburbs know only too well the problems of traffic congestion. If the NRA proposal is advanced the existing problems will double overnight. The NRA proposal is dangerous and will increase the number of traffic accidents in built up areas.

Mr. Farrell

I welcome the motion. Every Minister for the Environment in recent years has brought in many rules and regulations. Rules were brought in to cover depth of tread and speed limits; garage reports were required for cars over ten years old for insurance purposes; driving tests, road safety and drink driving measures were also introduced. However, these measures have not brought the desired results.

The two most important words the Minister used were "education" and "encouragement". Motorists feel they are the new criminals in society; they feel they are a soft target. We are told gardaí have to have so many prosecutions each year and the soft option to gain results is to use a speed gun — a "hair drier" as it is popularly known — or to concentrate on parking offences. These road traffic laws are not considered for their higher motives but are seen as an easy means of gathering revenue for the State.

When a robbery takes place how often does one hear the view that the Garda would be better off concentrating on such crime rather than stopping cars? I go to competitions for one armed golfers each year and while driving to one in England last year I stopped at an agricultural show. The police had a stand at the show with a video presentation. The officer at the stand told me they had stopped tackling accidents at a particular point on a road with radar and summonses. Instead, they decided to stop the drivers and give them advice.

In England when one approaches a speed check one will see a sign notifying drivers of the check and speed cameras are also indicated by signs. However, under our system the Garda is like the bad poacher who shoots at the stationary rabbit. The gardaí stand out of sight with a speed gun and spring out to catch passing motorists. This antagonises motorists. We should put an end to that attitude and treat drivers more sensibly. Education and encouragement are the means to achieve this.

There are two particularly useful experimental measures in operation at present. There are new traffic islands in villages which force cars to slow down to single line traffic to enter and leave the village. That system should be extended. Another useful measure is the use of rumble strips on the approaches to villages or schools. The rumble strips automatically alert a driver to slow down. Such measures lead to improved road safety.

We should not always blame drunk and speeding drivers for road accidents. Prescribed medicines or drugs are responsible for many road accidents. People who are prescribed drugs should be warned to be careful when driving. The effects of drugs can be as severe as drink, yet prescription drugs are not regarded as dangerous.

Many accidents are caused by pedestrians and cyclists. In towns on the continent people will not cross the road until the pedestrian light is green. In Ireland, however, people will cross in front of cars without having regard to traffic. It reminds me of the story of the two old fellows on a tractor coming out of a field in front of a motorist who had to swerve into the field to avoid them; one of the old fellows said to the other "It was lucky we were out of the field". Joggers on the road at night are a great hazard.

Our speed limits are too low. The limit on dual carriageways should be 80 miles per hour. Modern cars have ABS, servo assisted brakes and independent suspension which make them much safer. I drove to Dublin recently in a 1965 Austin Cambridge and I thought its brakes were gone. When I arrived in Dublin I had a mechanic check it out but the brakes were fine. I had become so used to driving a modern car with ABS that I thought the older car had no brakes.

Aggressive driving is another road safety problem. I was driving the Austin Cambridge at about 50 or 55 miles per hour and I became the object of aggressive driving from motorists who thought I was driving too slowly. At some places I pulled in because I was causing a problem. Slow drivers can be as much of a hazard as fast drivers.

I have been driving for 50 years. I have driven vans and trucks; I have driven the living and the dead — I worked as a hearse driver at one time — and I have never had an accident. I drive up to 40,000 miles a year. The speed limit should be 80 miles per hour on the motorways and 70 miles per hour on national primary routes. In a modern car 70 miles per hour is not particularly fast. Legally people can drive at up to 60 miles an hour on country roads on which I would not drive at 25 or 30 miles an hour. Speed limits are not related to the quality of roads. I welcome what the Minister is trying to do and I hope it will reduce the number of road accidents.

We must stop harassing motorists. When people who drive at ten to 15 miles over the speed limit are stopped by the Garda Síochána, they should be advised to drive more slowly. We should remove the compulsion on members of the force to have a certain number of prosecutions because that attitude is antagonising motorists. Before nearing a checkpoint motorists receive signals by motorists coming from the other direction flashing their headlights; this means that the Garda only catches a small number of people speeding.

We have too many theorists and too much theory. When we started teaching the theory of metalwork and woodwork in our schools we put an end to tradesmen. We should forget about theory and deal with reality and facts. We should introduce a system of education and encouragement for motorists and get rid of the mallet and the hammer attitude. We have abolished the abuse of corporal punishment in schools. We should now stop punishing motorists and give them encouragement. If we do, we will reduce accidents and have a better and safer society.

Mr. Maloney

I welcome the measures the Minister has taken with regard to road safety. Over 435 deaths occurred on our roads last year and there is probably not one Member of the Oireachtas who did not have a relative or friend killed on the roads at some stage due to stupid mistakes, drinking or lack of thinking. It is sad that families have been destroyed because of a lack of thought or consideration before these accidents happened. Prevention is better than cure and, to some degree, the Minister has gone down the road of trying to make people aware of the need for road safety. Coming from a rural area I know that much of what Senator Farrell said is true.

The previous Minister for the Environment, Deputy Michael Smith, came under pressure not to reduce drink driving levels. Thankfully, he did not cave in to the pressure groups. However, the reductions do not seem to have made any great difference. We still have the crazy situation that year after year between 400 and 500 people are killed on our roads. Speed and drink are probably the two main causes of these deaths.

Speeding through housing estates is an issue which keeps coming up at county council and urban council meetings. It is hard to believe that young people speed through these estates. At a recent meeting of Letterkenny Urban District Council, delegations from two estates asked us to introduce ramps or rumble strips to stop speeding. Much of this speeding is caused by young people who are creating mayhem and getting the message through to them is a problem. We often hear people complaining about how high insurance costs are for young people. Probably 90 per cent of these young people obey the rules of the road and have consideration for other road users. However, many deaths are caused by young people who speed. It seems to be difficult to get information through to road users, particularly those in the 18 to 30 age bracket.

The Minister spoke recently about regular tests on old cars. I welcome the efforts he has made to comply with the EU directive by 1998; this is a step in the right direction. Figures provided by the Society of the Irish Motor Industry show that a record 12,926 new cars were sold in April. This was a major increase on the figure of 9,536 for the same period last year. Under the scrappage scheme for cars over ten years old, which was introduced recently by the Minister for Finance, 7,400 cars were sold in a year. These bangers, which were a danger to the public, were taken off the road. I ask the Minister to impress upon the Minister for Finance the need to continue this scheme.

The lack of consideration many tractor drivers have for other road users is unbelievable. It scares the daylights out of me to see young people of 14 or 15 years of age driving tractors on country roads. Most of them probably do not have licences or much experience. Nevertheless, their parents allow them drive along fields and roads. I do not know how we can get through to these people.

Senator Farrell spoke about joggers. The other day I was driving on a dual carriageway outside Letterkenny on which six people were jogging. Thinking about what could happen to them would scare the daylights out of me. I do not think the rules of the road allow people to jog on dual carriageways but, unfortunately, we do nothing about this.

I welcome the measures the Minister has introduced. It is important that we raise this matter as often as we can. Prevention is better than cure and the Garda Síochána has a major role to play. A Garda car parked outside a town has a sobering effect on many road users. Drivers slow down if a Garda car is parked in the same place regularly and they are more careful. The Garda need to be on the ball and to keep the public aware that it is there to do a job. I welcome the Minister's initiatives in this area; long may they continue.

Mr. Lanigan

I am glad of the opportunity to speak on this motion. Everybody's efforts to reduce the carnage on our roads must be taken seriously. There is no point suggesting there is only one reason for the high incidence of road accidents. However, the causes can be boiled down to a small number of factors — speed, driving under the influence of alcohol and the conditions of roads.

The condition of motor vehicles is also a factor. A welcome scheme has been introduced whereby cars over ten years old can be taken off the road for a premium of £1,000. This has had a major impact on alleviating the problems associated with vehicles which were not fit to be on the roads. MOT type testing should be carried out on light commercial vehicles. That would help to reduce the number of accidents and fatalities caused by heavy and light goods vehicles. Before they take their test they must check everything to ensure the vehicle is roadworthy. Human error or a vehicle which has not had a MOT test may cause accidents. There is not a car in the country which has had a MOT test. It will cost the Government money to get MOT tests done on vehicles over three years old, but the number of lives saved would negate any such costs. We have been promised legislation for many years, but it has still not been introduced.

The number of cars one meets at night with one light — we call them one-eyed jacks — is increasing. These cause accidents because it is difficult to know which side of the car the light is on. Many motor companies focus and check lights free of charge before winter. It should be compulsory for everyone to test the lights on their cars because there is nothing worse than meeting a car with badly focused lights.

I ask the Minister to ensure that every vehicle is tested for its roadworthiness. How many vehicles have bad shock absorbers, which means that when the brakes are applied the vehicle veers to the right or to the left? How many vehicles do not have brakes which work? A number of other safety measures are not tested on cars. Cars are capable of going from zero miles to 60 miles an hour in ten seconds. Few cars will not do 120 miles an hour. The problem is how to stop them. I agree with the Minister's plan to introduce on the spot fines for speeding. I have probably been caught more times than other people, particularly since the roads have been improved between Kilcullen and Dublin.

I ask the Minister and the National Roads Authority to examine how to improve the road between Kilcullen and Kilkenny and particularly between Kilkenny and Waterford. The road between Thomastown and Waterford is a national disgrace. The only way to get into Waterford from the north is on the M9 or the M10 from Kilkenny. There are a huge number of accidents between Kilkenny and Waterford and between Thomastown and Waterford because the roads are not fit for traffic and people take chances. The biggest port in Ireland is Waterford port, which is in County Kilkenny. All the Bell Ferry traffic goes north, south and east, but it cannot go west except through Kilkenny. There is no place between Waterford and Kilkenny where two Bell Ferry trucks can pass safely. Louisiana Pacific and a number of other companies are setting up in that area, which means the road between the M9 and M10 is of vital importance. People from Wexford, Kilkenny, south Tipperary, Roscommon, Galway and Sligo have only one bridge to cross to get to Waterford.

I ask the Minister to introduce a MOT test for motor cars as soon as possible. People will speed, so I am glad the Minister is introducing on the spot fines. People should be able to pay these at Garda stations rather than paying somebody on the side of the road.

Vehicles from outside the State cause many accidents because they are not taken off the road if they are stopped for tacograph offences. If an Irish truck is stopped on the Continent or in Britain and the tacograph shows they were speeding, they are taken off the road immediately. If a truck from the North of Ireland, Britain or France is doing 75 miles an hour on our dual carriageways, they are not taken off the road. The same rules should apply here.

I welcome any legislation or regulation which prevents accidents, but we also need MOT type testing for motor cars.

Mr. McAughtry

On the spot fines here and in the North are not that effective. If a quiet stretch of road is a favourite spot for a garda to hide, and to use an instrument which looks like a hair dryer, and his accomplice stops the driver a little further up the road, the only thing it teaches the driver is to look out for such spots on the road. That is what it taught me to do and now I know all the spots in the North where I am liable to be caught for speeding. It has not made any difference to the way I drive my car in traffic or on motorways. I also understand that when good looking girls are caught, they burst out crying and they are then not fined. That is sexism.

Mr. Enright

Why does the Senator not try crying?

Mr. McAughtry

I tried almost everything else, including pulling rank, which did not work.

I live in a part of the country where the MOT test has been in existence for many years. Many people shop at supermarkets in the area. The cars they drive are of a high standard and are quite new. I believe the MOT is directly responsible for this. The MOT is also a good idea from an environmental point of view. The authorities in Northern Ireland recently introduced — and I hope it will be introduced in the Republic — an examination of the emissions from car exhausts in order to discover whether they reached the required EU standard.

I use taxis quite a lot. One of the reasons I cannot find my way around Dublin, despite working here for 15 years, is because I use taxis to travel throughout the city. I have spoken to many taxi drivers and noticed the care with which they drive as a rule. Not all Members will agree with me in this regard. Taxi drivers are careful because their cars are their livelihoods. If their cars are damaged and put off the road, they will lose income as a result. A useful way to educate young people who recently qualified for a full driving licence would be to have taxi drivers speak to them. Taxi drivers are very philosophical and will discuss what they have seen happening on the roads. They have witnessed almost every error it is possible to commit on the roads.

Taxi drivers can drive quickly when required to transport a passenger to an airport, for example. They are not like drivers of heavy goods vehicles, who are an entirely different tribe. Taxi drivers see it all and it might not be a bad idea to approach them in this regard. I am aware that they have approached the Minister for a totally different reason and I support them in that. Perhaps their association might be approached to invite taxi drivers to speak to young people before they remove their "L" plates and are let loose on the roads. These newly qualified drivers could undergo a course of two or three lectures given by taxi drivers and also by people who have lost a loved one as a result of a road accident.

Mr. Quinn

No one can be unmoved by the fact that last year 405 people died and 9,784 were injured as a result of road accidents. These figures are mere statistics, however. One must attend a funeral or visit the home of a person killed in a road accident to grasp the reality. Last month I attended the funeral of a man killed in an accident. He was buried nine months to the day after his marriage took place. That is the sort of event which puts statistics into place. I welcome this debate which provides an opportunity to focus on the issue at hand.

Ireland's road safety statistics are not the worst, but they are not the best either. I would be glad if we determined to be the best in this regard. As Senator McAughtry stated, it is only when we consider the death of individual people that we realise something can be done about the problem. Had it become apparent in 1896, before they began to appear on our roads, that the arrival of motorcars would cause 405 deaths annually on Irish roads, could anything have been done about the situation? Regardless of whether it could then, nothing can now be done about motorcars or traffic. Perhaps there are solutions to the problem, however.

I do not like to contribute to debates unless it is possible to offer suggestions or solutions. It seems that the first thing we must do is change our attitude. We do not have an attitude which determines that deaths on our roads will be avoided in the future. We each have a responsibility in this regard. I visited America in the past and I was impressed by the way in which people adhere to the speed limit of 55 miles per hour. While driving there, I found myself driving above the speed limit and overtaking other cars. We seem to have an attitude of mind that tends toward speeding, which is one of the prime causes of road accidents in Ireland. We must change this attitude.

From time to time the State, through the Minister for the Environment, begins a campaign against speeding and everyone becomes aware of the problem for a period. This does not seem to last, however. If we are to accept that speeding is the main cause of road accidents, a national determination of some form is needed to overcome the problem. I suggest a three-tiered approach. First, we must concentrate on road safety campaigns. As in the past, we must attempt to institute a lasting campaign which identifies alcohol abuse and speeding as the two prime causes of road deaths. Ireland does not have the technology that exists elsewhere. My son-in-law lives in France and was recently scared out of his wits when he realised that he had been photographed by a traffic camera while speeding in his car. The authorities informed him of his wrongdoing seven days later. He was aware that he had been photographed while speeding and was worried because he requires the use of his car for his job. Potential exists to do something about this problem by concentrating on the area of road safety campaigns.

The second tier of my approach relates to policing and road engineering, about which something can be done. I am not sure whose is the responsibility in this regard, I assume it is the Minister's. I am not certain, however, because it involves many other areas. The third tier involves avoiding a topdown approach and utilising a bottom-up one. The solution to the problem will be determined by a policy instituted by the Minister which will encourage action to be taken much further down the line.

I have spoken to friends who are serving members of the Garda Síochána and was informed that in every Garda division there is at least one problem area of which they are aware. A problem exists wherever a road for which the National Roads Authority has responsibility crosses one that falls within the ambit of a local authority. I refer to Kilshane Cross on the Dublin-Derry road, which, I believe, is in the Fingal County Council area in north County Dublin. Kilshane Cross is a death-trap situated on a long, straight, reasonably narrow road which is very attractive to someone who wishes to drive fast. An interim solution to the dangers which exist on this road would be the introduction of more white lines or amber lights. I am aware that any long-term remedy would have to be put in place on a much larger scale, but these are the areas——

Mr. Howlin

Last week I launched a manual containing engineering solutions for all accident blackspots.

Mr. Quinn

I thank the Minister and am aware that he has taken these actions. However, I am concerned as to who accepts responsibility for road safety. Local authorities in some areas give assurances that they will take action, but that they lack sufficient resources at present and will put amber lights in place in one or two years. In the interim, a white line is painted on the road for a distance of 50 metres. I suggest that a double white line measuring 100 to 200 metres is needed, because at the speed at which they travel on the Dublin-Derry road people arrive at the accident blackspot before realising the danger involved.

The most horrific deaths occur when children stepping from a school bus are knocked down. In the United States there is a rule which states that amber lights on each corner of a schoolbus must flash when it stops and passengers are alighting. It is illegal for other traffic to pass the bus when those lights are flashing. These suggestions are mere tokens, but we must have a predetermined plan to solve this problem. I am delighted the Minister has taken this action and I am very impressed with this debate. It is a further step along the road which I hope will remove some of the horror and pain and will prevent some of the terrible funerals we have all had to attend.

Mr. Enright

I congratulate Senator Magner and the other Senators for tabling this motion, which I am happy to support. It is very commendable and essential to debate this matter in this House. The number of road accidents and deaths in 1995 must shock us all — 437 people died and 9,000 were injured on our roads. Those figures relate more to a war zone than to social driving of motor cars. It is total carnage.

How can we help reduce the level of accidents? The main factor is speed. I hate to say this, but lack of courtesy and good manners is another important element. Some people hate to be over-taken and become different people after it happens. They cannot take the fact they have been passed out and try to overtake the person again.

The National Safety Council is running an advertisement at the moment which is funded by the Department of the Environment and the insurance industry. I congratulate the Minister, his Department, the National Safety Council and the insurance industry on the campaigns they are running. One television advertisement shows a young man driving along with his girlfriend and speeding and showing off in the car. He suddenly turns a corner and knocks down children walking along the road. There are bodies all over the place and his girlfriend is then shown looking at him with shock and horror. Every time I see that advertisement it makes me stop and think. I am certain many people in the country are also horrified by this television campaign. It is important to have such realistic advertisements which shock people.

I ask the Minister to also consider running an advertisement demonstrating simple matters, such as moving to the left hand side to allow people to overtake, indicating properly before overtaking and using rear and side view mirrors. I know such an advertising campaign would take a long time to plan and prepare. However, it is essential to try to make people aware of the fact that others want to overtake them and that one has a duty to move in to allow safe overtaking. However, the existing campaign is quite good and must be continued and expanded because it will save the lives of many children and elderly people.

The drink driving campaign is particularly successful among young people.

Young men and women have decided not to take even one drink or glass of wine and drive. The older generation are more likely to drink and drive. Young people should be congratulated. When this matter was discussed in the House, I felt the existing limits were realistic. I still feel it should be permissible to drive after one or two drinks, as long as it is kept in check — as long as a person is sensible about it, one or two drinks do no harm.

Huge Garda resources are invested in the implementation of road traffic laws. I welcome the Minister's proposal of on the spot fines for speeding. Of course, a person must be allowed if they feel aggrieved to have their case heard in court. The Minister who is present, Deputy Taylor, has been a practising solicitor for many years and is aware of this matter. Under the Road Traffic Act, a doctor's certificate is permitted in court as proof of drunken driving, as is a certificate from the Medical Bureau of Road Safety, without the doctor having to appear in court. That has worked well.

I ask the Minister to strongly consider allowing a certificate to be produced in court to state tax is due from a certain date in cases where a person is charged with not having tax. The person charged should be permitted to challenge the certificate if they wanted to, but they would have to give notification within a specified time of their intention to do so. Similarly, in cases where a person is charged with having no insurance, a certificate from the garda stating no insurance was furnished to him should be allowed, unless the person wanted to challenge it in court.

I was in Mountrath Court last Tuesday which was packed with people charged with speeding, tax and insurance offences. A huge number of gardaí were delayed in court all morning because they could not furnish certificates. That is a waste of Garda resources and manpower. Members spoke today about gardaí being moved to the Border because of the BSE scare. However, a great deal of Garda time could be saved if such certificates were allowed in court.

I have spoken here before about the seizure of cars for non-payment of tax. Three cases were highlighted recently, two of which were in my constituency. It is wrong because it is a sledgehammer of a deterrent. I ask for that to be investigated. A woman was stranded in Mount Street, and if she had been attacked, assaulted, injured or raped that night, there would have been a major demand for either the Minister for the Environment or the Minister for Justice to resign. It is unfair to seize a person's car for non-payment of tax — there are other ways to deal with it.

Mr. Fitzgerald

I support the motion and concur with an amount of what was said by other Senators. Senator Quinn said that drivers in America generally stick to the speed limits. I travel about 600 miles a week and I regularly drive from Dingle to Dublin. The journey takes me approximately five to six hours, which means that my average speed would be 35 miles per hour. However, if I travelled at the speed that is allowed my journey would take just over four hours.

What is wrong? Some drivers do not know how to use the road and some gardaí are not implementing the law. There are some nasty, foggy days when one encounters 20 articulated trucks ahead travelling in convoys. It is impossible to pass them because there is not enough room to pull in. They sometimes travel at unbelievable speeds. Travelling out of Dublin last Saturday evening, an articulated truck passed me as I was driving at 73 mile per hour on the motorway.

I am unable to stick to the speed limits because of road hogs. We are building roads which cost a couple of million pounds per mile — motorways, dual carriageways and so on. Yet the driver travelling at a slow speed of 30 miles per hour will be found on the fast lane. He cannot be passed, people become frustrated, they lose their tempers and accidents occur.

I am driving cars for 45 years and have not had an accident. However, anybody driving 600 miles a week will inevitably be involved in one. I am horrified at the way in which some people drive. How did they get a driving licence? Some travel at 80 miles per hour with "L" signs displayed. Similarly, some who have a sign on their rear window advising of a baby on board do not have much respect for the baby, given the speeds they travel.

The purpose of the road traffic legislation two years ago was to reduce the impact of drink on driving. It was hoped the number of accidents would be reduced, but road deaths continue to increase. It is not the fault of road construction, because all dangerous parts are well sign posted. It is because people are not looking; they do not seem to care. For example, at a certain distance behind a car, a van or a bus it can become apparent, by failing to see the driver's face from looking at his wing or inside mirror, that the driver in front cannot see the vehicle behind. Similarly, the number of people who turn off the road without indicating is unbelievable.

I do not know why Garda cars are not cruising up and down the roads, telling people the mistakes they are making and charging them with offences. Yet they can be found hidden behind bridges trying to catch people like me, perhaps doing five or six miles per hour over the speed limit and being as careful as possible. I do not agree with this.

Like other countries, we should have signs indicating that radar is in operation. They will ensure that those who are speeding will slow down. Some radar traps are illegal. For example, I was told on the Continent that such traps do not exist because a police car must be visible on the road. If a police car is hidden the police are acting illegally; they must notify that radar is in operation because it is only in such circumstances that they can prosecute. I agree with the Minister's remarks regarding on the spot fines for reasonably small traffic offences, especially speeding offences. I do not refer to major offences such as speeding at 120 miles per hour in a 60 miles per hour zone or at 70 miles per hour in a 40 miles per hour zone.

I do not know why we must have gardaí on the road checking on tax. My car was stolen two years ago. The computer in the Garda offices at Harcourt Terrace provided me with every detail when I reported it stolen, including its colour, the year I bought it and when my tax and insurance were due for renewal. Records such as these should mean that the Garda can contact people who have not renewed their tax or insurance rather than wasting their time stopping people on the roads. For example, if a person does not renew a television licence the authorities will issue a reminder.

Bad tyres also cause accidents; yet, although I am stopped approximately twice a week travelling to and from Dublin, no garda in the past ten years has checked my tyres. In any event, they are always in good condition.

Mr. Dardis

I want to tell the Minister the interesting saga of the M7, the road one takes from Dublin to get to Senator Fizgerald's home. As it runs through the middle of my property I have plentiful opportunity to observe what goes on, because when one is ploughing on a winter's day there is not much else to do.

The M7 is a fascinating place. People stop to picnic on it, cycle on it, drive tractors and trailers on it, may even drive invalid cars on it and do U-turns across the bollards that are meant to protect us and allow the emergency service to get across. The River Liffey flows under the M7. It is a nice place to stop and look, get out and stretch the legs. I wonder why more people are not killed on our motorways. It is only by being beside the M7 for the entire day that one sees these things.

The squad car to which Senator Fitzgerald refers is on the M7 but it is unmarked, so among all these other sights is the squad car stopping cars for speeding. While I accept that after alcohol, speed is probably the biggest killer on the roads, I have never seen the squad car intervene in any of the other lunacies which take place on the M7. Perhaps the gardaí are too busy or have other things to do but, assuredly, what happens on the M7 is lethal and I am sure the same happens on other motorways, dual carriageways and country roads.

Signage is another fascinating issue. There are signs at the start of the motorway to indicate that various vehicles are excluded but there is no uniformity of signage between local authorities — different areas have different signs for the same hazard. I accept it is not the same on the motorway because that is a national route and the National Roads Authority comes into play, but even there some of the signage is extraordinary. Some people who come to Kildare cannot find Athy, a relatively big town. One would have expected a sign where one branches off for Athy but, just past the point where the motorways separate, when one has gone 100 yards past the exit one sees the sign for Athy. Some people continue to Kildare and then try to find their way to Athy but there are skid marks on the road to show that others stopped and reversed to take the slip road. There may be something in our Celtic blood derived from our Arab ancestors which gives us a healthy disregard for traffic laws and any level of organisation within our society but I do not understand what makes us do these things.

There is an interchange at Kilcullen where one would turn for Athy if one had seen the sign. This is another interesting place because some people go up the down ramp, others come down the up ramp, and yet more come down the wrong side and apply their brakes, so there are skid marks in the opposite direction. There are signs but clearly something is wrong with them and someone must be in a position to find out what it is. Why do these things happen, given the number of signs? Perhaps the problem is that there are too many. I appeal for uniformity and sense to be applied to the way we sign our principal roads and motorways.

Another issue is road markings. When we cross the Border into Northern Ireland, we see one white line, sometimes two, in the middle of the road and two lines on either side of the road. Northern Ireland is subvented to a far greater degree than we are, which may be one reason they are so committed to the Union. However, we could do more to make our roads safe for driving.

Another lunacy is that going to Dublin, drivers come off a motorway on to a dual carriageway and are faced with traffic lights. Those of us who drive to Dublin regularly will be aware of the concertinas which take place at the traffic lights on the dual carriageway — up to five cars jammed into one another head to tail. Fortunately, the accidents are not serious but they do take place. It does not make sense to be faced with this when coming off a motorway.

It cannot be necessary to repair the inner lane of each dual carriageway to and from Dublin because everyone uses the fast lane, whether they are travelling at 40 miles per hour or 80 miles per hour — I realise they should not be travelling at the higher speed. It fascinates me that everyone stays in the fast land and no one pulls over. I know from driving on the M1 in England that if one does not pull over fairly sharply, something will plough into the back of one's car at a rate of knots — we have seen the results on television.

I endorse what was said about traffic cameras — if one drove from Aberdeen to London one would see them at regular intervals and they slow cars down. I also agree with what was said about passing on the inside and I support the idea of on the spot fines for traffic misdemeanours such as speeding, although more serious offences will have to be dealt with otherwise. We sometimes assume that people in other countries are more law abiding but that is not the case — they abide by the law because the penalties are stiffer and surveillance is better.

Mr. Calnan

It is good to speak on a motion about which there is a consensus. I thank the Minister for Equality and Law Reform, Deputy Taylor, for coming here and especially the Minister for the Environment, Deputy Howlin, for the steps he is taking to alleviate the carnage on our roads.

The figure of 437 deaths on the road last year was mentioned a number of times. If there was an aircrash in which that number of people were killed it would be a major talking point for months, especially if it happened in a country like ours. However, there are catastrophes every year on the roads — 437 died last year; how many the year before and the year before that? In addition 9,000 people were injured last year. Let us look at the figure another way. How many villages have populations lower than 437? Imagine such a village being wiped out. When we look at road accident figures we often see them as just statistics.

One issue not mentioned is the clothing worn by those who go walking at night. I was once driving on a narrow road, with traffic coming towards me and suddenly I saw a man, wearing a dark coat and cap, walking on the road; I could only see his face. All I could do was hope that I could avoid him; thank goodness I did. Wearing dark clothes is a recipe for disaster. Reflective armbands are available free from the National Safety Council through schools; they shine like a light.

Many Senators mentioned road rage. If one is in a hurry and someone in front is crawling it can make one cross but that does not mean one should shoot or stab the other person, as happened in England recently. Two signs stick in my memory: "Be alive to danger on the road"; and "Drive like hell and you're sure to get there". If we had consideration for others there would be fewer serious accidents and less carnage on our roads. In other words, we should keep within the speed limits, and we should not take alcohol and drive.

I thank the Minister for his proposals.

Question put and agreed to.

An Cathaoirleach

When is it proposed to sit again?

Mr. Calnan

Tomorrow at 10.30 a.m.