Olivia Mitchell
Ceist:264 Ms O. Mitchell asked the Minister for Transport if he has received the report commissioned into the incidence of single occupant late night car crashes. [26287/04]
Amharc ar fhreagraWednesday, 27 October 2004
Ceisteanna (160)
Freagraí scríofa
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 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 in order 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 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 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 occupant late night crashes.