Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 9 April 2019
521. Deputy Thomas P. Broughan asked the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport if he has liaised with the RSA about strong and pervasive road safety campaigns focusing on speeding and respect for local authority and NTA speed-limit signs in view of the level of road casualties to date in 2019; if his attention has been drawn to the key role of speed in virtually every crash; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [16080/19]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe Road Safety Authority has statutory responsibility for road safety awareness and education. It runs public information campaigns constantly to heighten awareness of key factors in road safety, including speeding.
The Authority's current anti-speeding campaign focuses on the consequences of breaking the speed limit by lower amounts. The advert is set in an urban area, and is designed to remind drivers that even a small increase in speed can have the most devastating of consequences.
A pedestrian who is hit by a car travelling at 50 km/h has a 50% chance of survival; at 60 km/h that chance drops to just 10%. In fact, regardless of the cause of a collision, it is speed which determines the outcome.
The RSA has also been active in promoting the greater implementation of 30 km/h speed limits in built up areas, and has brought a speaker from the UK's "20 is Plenty" campaign to speak to local city and county councillors on this issue.
The RSA will also continue to support an Garda Síochána in the two national slowdown days it promotes every year, in May and October, with both radio messaging and the use of social media.
