Léim ar aghaidh chuig an bpríomhábhar
Gnáthamharc

Road Safety

Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 25 March 2014

Tuesday, 25 March 2014

Ceisteanna (1233)

Michael Healy-Rae

Ceist:

1233. Deputy Michael Healy-Rae asked the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport his views on correspondence (details supplied) regarding a vehicle safety audit; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [12999/14]

Amharc ar fhreagra

Freagraí scríofa

Under the Road Safety Authority Act 2006 (Conferral of Functions) Order 2006 (S.I. No. 477 of 2006), the Road Safety Authority (RSA) has responsibility for the delivery of the National Car Test. In 2008, the RSA having reviewed the car testing specification, proposed a number of modifications to the National Car Test (NCT). A public consultation on those proposals was conducted by the RSA in 2009 and, having considered the views received, recommended, amongst other developments, that annual testing of cars over ten years old, be introduced. I accepted that recommendation and decided that with effect from 1 June 2011  all cars older than 10 years other than vintage cars must undergo annual roadworthiness testing.

The effects of wear and tear on a vehicle become more evident as it ages and prior to the introduction of annual testing road traffic collision statistics showed that a significant proportion of fatal collisions and serious injuries arose from collisions that involved vehicles that were 10 years old or over. It is for these reasons I believe that annual testing of such vehicles is a valuable safety measure. With regard to exempting ten year old vehicles from testing fees every second year of their annual testing schedule, I have no proposals to do so. The fee charged represents the per test cost of carrying out the testing service.

Barr
Roinn