Vol. 479 No. 3
8 Mr. Clohessy asked the Minister for the Environment if it is his understanding that specifications for the construction of traffic signs ought now be upgraded and updated to promote road safety; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [12879/97]
17 Mr. Molloy asked the Minister for the Environment if it is his understanding that specifications for the construction of traffic signs ought now be upgraded and updated to promote road safety; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [12887/97]
I propose to take Questions Nos. 8 and 17 together.
My Department, in association with the National Roads Authority, is reviewing and updating the technical specifications for the construction of road traffic signs. The review, which is expected to be completed in the current year, is being carried out against the background of the development of a new specification at European level by CEN, the European standardisation organisation.
A traffic signs manual which I published last December covers all other aspects of road signage. It is a code of good practice which will help to ensure that we have an effective and well maintained traffic sign system. A copy of the manual is available in the Oireachtas Library.
Will the Minister accept that the quality and position of road traffic signs are important factors in promoting road safety and preventing accidents and deaths on the roads? In the UK, for example, an improvement in the positioning of road traffic signs and improved road markings resulted in a reduction in the number of road accidents. Would the Minister acknowledge that a broader specification should be adopted to allow for the use of a range of materials depending on road conditions? The publication, A Guide to Road Safety Engineering in Ireland, outlined the use of improved reflectivity in traffic signs. That was good in so far as it went, but would the Minister acknowledge that it would have been better to have specified the type of sheeting to be used in particular situations with a view to upgrading quality and reflectivity and putting in place the best available technology in terms of road markings?
I was not aware of any particular difficulty with the reflective nature of signs that are in place, but I welcome the Deputy's views and will have them tested by the technical experts in my Department. I strongly agree with her view on the importance of signage and road markings in relation to road safety generally. The new road markings and reflective cats' eyes on some of the national primary routes have resulted in a remarkable improvement in motorists' ability to judge positioning on the road and to see oncoming cars etc.
The programme being undertaken by the National Roads Authority is a very important one and the national routes have benefited greatly from it. The upgrading of signage on the N1 was completed last year, the first year of the programme; the N2, the N13, the N14 and the N15 will be completed during this year. It is also expected that the N3, the N4, the N8, the N9, the N10, the N11 and the N25 will be completed by the end of this year. Reflective cats' eyes, even on roads that are not particularly straight, make a remarkable difference to road safety. Somebody said on a national radio programme the other day that I had turned some of the national roads into runways. That is a positive thing.
Would the Minister acknowledge that visibility is the key and if the visibility of signs is upgraded, road safety is improved automatically and roads become safer and more comfortable for drivers? Will the Minister accept my suggestion that any review of the road safety guidelines should clearly specify the type of sheeting to be used on signs, and that the best available sheeting should be used for all signs, not just on the national primary routes? Fatal accidents are occurring on rural roads.
I will ask the technical experts in my Department to look at the suggestion made by the Deputy.
