Olivia Mitchell
Question:213 Ms O. Mitchell asked the Minister for Transport when he expects the report into the instance of late night road accidents will be published; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [33003/04]
View answerTuesday, 14 December 2004
Questions (194)
Written answers
Following the growth in the reporting of concerns in the fatalities resulting of single vehicle crashes occurring late at night, the Medical Bureau of Road Safety, MBRS, and the department of forensic medicine at University College Dublin were asked if they could examine the issue surrounding single vehicle and late night collisions to determine if drugs and-or alcohol is a factor.
There are two very separate and distinct classes of toxicological analyses carried out depending on whether or not the person provided the sample under the Road Traffic Acts or the sample was taken during post-mortem examination. The MBRS does not receive samples from fatalities. However, within the department of forensic medicine at UCD, a pilot study in relation to road traffic crashes is being carried out in relation to the coroner's district of Kildare for a ten-year period and analysis of this data is ongoing. This analysis will assist in providing a more solid evidence based assessment of the causes of crashes and fatalities including single vehicle late night crashes. I expect to receive a copy of the report in the near future.