I thank the joint committee for inviting us before it. My name is Alan Regan and I am the County Carlow representative on the Dáil na nÓg Council. We wish to provide members with an update on our activities as well as some information on the school courses we have been researching. I will give the other delegates the opportunity to introduce themselves.
Road Safety: Discussion with Dáil na nÓg.
Mr. Alan Regan
Ms Mary Stenson
My name is Mary Stenson and I represent the County Mayo Comhairle na nÓg.
Ms Laura Fennelly
My name is Laura Fennelly and I represent the County Laois Comhairle na nÓg.
Ms Katie Fleming
My name is Katie Fleming and I represent the Fingal Comhairle na nÓg.
As we learn about road safety when we are very young, why not remember it now? One should always be careful and use the safe cross code. While it may seem babyish in some ways, it will not do so when it saves one's life. That is how simple it is.
I wish to provide members with an update on the activities in which Dáil na nÓg has participated this year. Members have to hand a list of all 34 members of Dáil na nÓg's council. The Dáil na nÓg Council is made up of 34 people, representing each Comhairle na nÓg throughout the country. It is the new name of the body formerly known as Coiste na dTeachtaí. We bring forward the recommendations made at Dáil na nÓg 2007 and represent Dáil na nÓg at local and national level. We represent the views of young people to Government, policymakers and representatives of national agencies. The Dáil na nÓg Council meets once a month and its members have a term of office of one year.
The Dáil na nÓg Council is divided into two groups — the road safety working group and the attitudes towards young people group. There are 17 council members in each group who are supported by two council advisers. Copies of the Dáil na nÓg 2007 statements are available to members in the delegate reports that have been provided.
The Dáil na nÓg Council wishes to provide today an update on the council's activities and to introduce two safety education courses, the STREETWISE civic, social and political education, CSPE, junior certificate programme and a transition year programme. We wish to tell members the reason these courses are so important, give recommendations on them and tell members what they can do to help.
Ms Mary Stenson
I will outline the top three Dáil na nÓg recommendations on road safety. First, 95% of the delegates on the day stated there is a need for more punctual scheduled and affordable public transport for young people, especially in rural areas. The second recommendation was that secondary school education should include a class devoted to all aspects of road safety such as, for example, a class on cyclists, pedestrians and drivers. This class should be independent of all other subjects, should be an examination subject and should be interactive, with practical learning. The third recommendation was that a compulsory course should be put in place for all young people who apply for provisional licences that would cover all aspects of road safety.
The first item on the road safety working group's action plan was to work with the Road Safety Authority and provide feedback on two new road safety education courses. STREETWISE is a programme for junior certificate students and will be included as part of the CSPE course. The second course is a pilot road safety transition year programme. The council members' second action was to update their comhairlí from September to November and to promote two new road safety education courses. The third action was to meet the Road Safety Authority, the Garda Síochána and the Oireachtas Joint Committee on Transport to put forward recommendations on the road safety education courses, on vehicle safety measures and on road safety legislation. Our fourth and final action was that the Dáil na nÓg Council should meet the Community Transportation Association of Ireland to offer feedback on rural transportation and infrastructure.
Ms Laura Fennelly
I will summarise both education courses. The STREETWISE course for civic, social and political education, CSPE, includes classes on pedestrians, cyclists, seat belts, speeding and drink driving. Its main focus, however, is on pedestrians and cyclists as students taking the course are still at junior certificate level. The course also includes three-week action projects. Different actions can be chosen and can form part of the coursework for the CSPE examination.
The pilot transition year programme covers issues such as seat belts, driver fatigue, drink and drug driving, road safety engineering and enforcement, basic first aid, emergency services, licensing and insurance, the national car test, purchasing a car and relevant driving theory test training. This programme does not include driving lessons but, as the committee can see, emphasis is placed on driving as the students are older.
The STREETWISE education course has been made available to all secondary schools and the transition year programme is being piloted during the school year. All schools have access to these courses but they are not yet compulsory. Last week, the council met the assistant Garda commissioner in the traffic department of the Garda Síochána and Noel Brett, the chief executive of the Road Safety Authority, RSA. Both organisations said that they are in favour of making these courses compulsory. The Office of the Minister for Children is organising a meeting with the National Council for Curriculum and Assessment to move this issue forward.
The importance of education in road safety was noticed in France when during a ten-year road safety campaign, road deaths were reduced by 44%. In Scotland, no leniency is afforded to those between the ages of 17 and 22 who break the rules of the road. They must resit their driving examination.
During the past year, the council carried out quite a bit of work with the RSA and the Garda Síochána. We met Jenny McLoughlin, the road safety promotion officer, and a report on the council's feedback and comments on the courses was sent to the RSA. The council also met Inspector Finbar Murphy, juvenile liaison officer with the Garda Síochána. Inspector Murphy and the council agreed that both courses should be evaluated to see how much impact they are having on young people.
Mr. Alan Regan
I thank Ms Fennelly. I will take the committee through some of the recommendations and feedback on the courses. In respect of the STREETWISE course for junior certificate students, it is recommended that the courses have a very practical and visual method of teaching.
I thank Ms Fleming before she leaves. We apologise for running on so late and that she must rush for a train but we appreciate her contribution. We will have a few questions and will certainly endorse what is being put before us to the RSA and others. I am very impressed and wish Ms Fleming a safe journey home.
Mr. Alan Regan
We welcome the recommendation that the courses have a very practical and visual method of teaching because we feel it is appropriate for the age group. The second recommendation is that class activities should include debates. This would support the interactivity of the course. The third recommendation is that visits by the Garda and ambulance and fire services would be beneficial because they would tie in with one of the recommendations from this year's Dáil na nÓg, which was that real life is better than fiction when trying to convey the horrors of road accidents. The fourth recommendation is that the course be made compulsory so that all students can avail of and benefit from it. The fifth recommendation is that the course needs to be evaluated to assess its impact on young people and altered if necessary.
Given that the pilot transition year course is only available to transition year students, that transition year is not available in all secondary schools and that it is not compulsory in schools that offer it, not all students will receive the course. It is recommended that the course either be made compulsory or be targeted at fifth year where, at least, students can appreciate the more adult approach taken by this course and will be at driving age.
The second recommendation is that there should be a driving module. There have been similar pilot projects at local level, including one in County Donegal and another one where students are taken to Mondello Park to receive a theory lesson there and are then given an instructed driving lesson. There is demand for it and students are availing of it on a local level but there is no national scheme of this sort.
The third recommendation is that made by Dáil na nÓg, namely, that real life is better than fiction. We have seen this recently with the RSA television advertisements, which have received very good feedback The final recommendation is that the course needs to be evaluated to assess its impact on young people.
Another local project was one run by my local Comhairle na nÓg in Carlow with which I was involved. In May 2007, our comhairle developed a presentation on road safety with the help of part-time road safety officer, John McDarby. This was given to second and fifth year students in the Carlow area and covered the number of teenagers affected by death and injury on the roads, practical information on road safety and statistics.
On average, seven people are killed in County Carlow every year, a significant number given the small population. The handout includes photographs of the presentation and photographs of an exhibition of shoes outside the Fairgreen shopping centre in Carlow, each pair representing a person killed on the roads in Ireland each year. It was entitled "Lost Soles" and one can imagine that if those people had not been killed that number of people would have been standing there. That visual exhibition has been held on a number of occasions.
We provided feedback to local Comhairle na nÓg organisations and made recommendations to them. We hope for a nationwide network of people to promote and develop the work we do on road safety. We have recommendations that members can consider, including: making road safety a priority; using influence at local and national level to encourage a compulsory fifth year road safety programme; encouraging schools in the locality to prioritise road safety and rewarding those that do so; using influence to make road safety a compulsory element of civic, social and political education programme for junior certificate students; lobbying for more cycle lanes, which will be of particular benefit to young people; and prioritising the improvement of public transport with the needs of young people in mind. As Ms Stenson stated, 95% of Dáil na nÓg delegates agreed on the need for more punctual, scheduled and affordable public transport for young people, especially in rural areas.
A number of websites contain plenty of information, including World Health Organisation, Road Safety Authority websites and www.dailnanog.ie. We are happy to take any questions.
I thank the representatives of Dáil na nÓg for their presentation and I apologise for my late arrival. As a father of two young girls, road safety is an issue of which I am conscious. The "Lost Soles" exhibition is striking and the extension of the theme could be considered as part of the campaign. The civic, social and political education programme should be extended to the leaving certificate and made an exam subject. Within that context the STREETWISE programme could be included.
One hears about young drivers being easy targets who are picked on. Does the delegation have a view on this, particularly in the context of high insurance premia? Older people, such as myself, have a view but I am interested in the views of the delegation.
Ms Laura Fennelly
Many of my peers feel they are discriminated against. The statistics show that young drivers are involved in many road incidents and insurance companies have valid reasons for higher rates for young people. Through these education programmes we may be able to change those statistics and the attitude that young people are discriminated against. If younger people change their attitudes, older people will follow.
Mr. Alan Regan
Deputy Andrews referred to extending the STREETWISE programme to the leaving certificate programme. There was much support in Dáil na nÓg. Ms Stenson referred to the need for our secondary school education to include a class allocated to aspects of road safety. Of the delegates who attended Dáil na nÓg last year, 73% agreed with this statement. A great deal of interest was expressed in such a scheme being extended, perhaps to leaving certificate level.
I thank the representatives for their presentation which was well put. I represent the constituency of Kildare North which has a large rural population. I have an interest in the matter of rural transport and young people. Last week I had a meeting with representatives of OK Transport which deals with counties Offaly and Kildare and put them in touch with youth clubs and young commuters with regard to providing feeder buses to train stations, cinemas and skating rinks. It is progressing positively.
I have spoken in the Dáil about off-road driving schools which should be available in every county. I am aware of those in counties Meath and Donegal. Mondello is different, as it is a private operation and one receives a voucher as a birthday present and goes for a day. What I am referring to are centres where transition year and fifth year students can complete a module on road safety with practical driving instruction, including on signage and the use of roundabouts. People moving to this country could also use such a facility to familiarise themselves with road signage.
I welcome the delegation and thank it for attending. It is astonishing that the junior certificate curriculum has never included a compulsory road safety module. The delegation makes a strong case and all of its recommendations should inform what the committee does.
Members of the delegation mentioned that they would welcome more cycling lanes. I am familiar with urban cycling lanes, on which many children and teenagers cycle to school, as many of us did years ago. What can be done to develop and improve them? In a rural context, what changes can be made to make cycling safer? A few years ago we had a terrible disaster involving a school bus, followed by the introduction of seat belts. Is the delegation happy with the standard of bus transport?
Mondello was mentioned. Issues raised in my constituency include joyriding and boy racers who tend to be young men and teenagers who are extremely interested in cars which, it is alleged, they drive far too quickly and inappropriately at times. What can be done to educate them about safety?
Ms Mary Stenson
A specific class on seat belts is included in the CSPE course. If young people learn about this from a young age, it will stay with them into adulthood and they will wear seat belts. We want the CSPE programme introduced in schools in order that attitudes can be changed. Similarly, with regard to boy racers, if the course was provided in fifth year and, therefore, available to all students, attitudes could be changed.
At Dáil na nÓg it was stated real life was better than fiction and that while television advertisements may be graphic, they were not reality. It was recommended that by using more reality stories such as those in the new television advertisements, attitudes might be changed. Transition year students could visit Mondello and other such parks to be shown what safe driving is really about. This would really interest young people and there would then be no need for them to practise boy racing around our towns. If the CSPE STREETWISE programme was made compulsory and was introduced in fifth year, attitudes would change and people would be more responsible on the road.
Is cycling safer or more dangerous now? One gets the impression it is much more dangerous than it used to be.
Ms Laura Fennelly
My parents would not let me cycle on the road but that is because the few cycle lanes that exist are situated right beside the road. It is too much of a risk to take to cycle so close to cars, buses and lorries. I was on holiday in France during the summer and cycling is completely different there because the cycle lanes are completely separate to the roads. They are on a higher level and are separated by barriers so cycling is much safer there. I believe that even in rural areas cycling could be made much safer by separating the lanes from the road and the traffic thereon.
I recently visited a new girls' school with more than 800 pupils. Outside were brand new, stainless steel bicycle racks but not one single bicycle was locked there. When I went to school, there were bikes everywhere but now in the cities and the suburbs parents believe that cycling is too dangerous. As a consequence, people use their cars to drop children to school which adds to congestion, has a negative effect on our carbon emissions and is unhealthy for children.
The witnesses mentioned that the evidence in France regarding its road safety campaign over a ten-year period indicated there had been improvements. They also referred to the importance of completing the STREETWISE programme in school and mentioned that they had met members of the Garda Síochána and the Road Safety Authority. Last year the number of road fatalities in this country decreased. There was a great deal of advertising on television regarding drink-driving, speeding and greater Garda enforcement. The people represented by the witnesses are not, by and large, drivers and the witnesses referred to the importance of focusing on pedestrians and cyclists. Do the witnesses believe that apart from what is happening in school, enough public information, through television and radio advertising for example, is being aimed at young people to remind them of the importance of wearing cycle helmets, luminous gear, and so forth? Is that message getting through or are such issues only being promoted in schools?
Ms Laura Fennelly
Many road safety advertisements are aimed at adults. Almost all involve car accidents. Many young people do not know about the laws governing cycling and walking on the roads. They do not know, for example, that the law requires them to wear a cycle helmet on a bicycle on the open road. Most young people do not wear helmets because they do not know they should. There is much ignorance of the laws governing cyclists because there is no publicity about those laws.
Did the witnesses raise that matter with the Road Safety Authority?
Ms Laura Fennelly
Yes, I brought it up at our first meeting in April last year. The advertisements should be aimed more at young people because we watch a lot of television and the message would get through to us that way.
Ms Fennelly agrees that the current advertisements are mainly aimed at speeding and drink-driving.
Ms Laura Fennelly
Yes.
Mr. Alan Regan
There are advertising campaigns aimed towards older people and there are also campaigns aimed at children, such as the safe cross code campaign. However, there is a gap and teenagers are not being catered for. It is particularly important that we target young people who, like us, are approaching driving age.
Can the three representatives explain in one sentence why so many young people drive too fast late at night after drinking too much and are involved in single-car fatalities?
Mr. Alan Regan
A lack of education is a significant concern. The issue is not formally addressed in schools, although a number of schools take it on themselves to do so.
Ms Laura Fennelly
Beyond educational aspects, attitudes need to be changed. Education is a good way to change these attitudes. If one starts to address the issue at an early stage, the wrong attitude will not develop.
Ms Mary Stenson
Education would change attitudes. Unless a school provides these courses, it does not have to teach anything about road safety. The only education currently required of young people is preparation for the driver theory test. The book for the test has only a couple of pages and the test involves multiple choice questions, which means that one could give three silly answers with a correct answer. Education in this area must be introduced into schools so that people are educated and their attitudes changed.
I thank each of the representatives, as well as the officials from the Office of the Minister for Children and the parents and other people who have accompanied them. I would hate to be in the situation of Deputies O'Brien, Nolan, Moloney, or Flynn, all of whom may come under pressure in a few years time. The representatives should keep up their efforts and we hope to see some of them in the Houses in the future.
At tomorrow's meeting we will hold discussions with the Dublin and Shannon airport authorities. For the particular information of Dublin Deputies, we will also meet Ciarán de Burca, chief executive of the Dublin quality bus network office.
The joint committee adjourned at 6.05 p.m. until 3.45 p.m. on Wednesday, 16 January 2008.