'Glimmer of hope' at fall in road deaths

The fall in the number of road deaths for two months in succession provides a "glimmer of hope for the future", according to Minister for Transport Martin Cullen. Following the introduction of roadside mandatory alcohol testing in July, 17 people died on the roads in August, the lowest number for any month since 1999.

There were 22 deaths in September compared to 31 the same month last year.

"In parallel, the number of road collisions has also fallen," Mr Cullen said. "Increased levels of enforcement are having a significant deterrent effect on those who would otherwise drink and drive.While it is important not to base trends on two months' statistics, the reduction during August and September is a positive development which I hope will continue."

Mr Cullen was speaking during the passage of emergency legislation to correct two typing errors in the 2006 Road Traffic Act.

The Road Traffic and Transport Bill, passed in the Seanad on Tuesday, amended the error where drivers who refused to give a breath sample at a roadside mandatory alcohol test were unlikely to be successfully prosecuted for drink-driving.

The Bill also renewed a section, deleted in previous legislation, linked to haulage and passenger vehicle operators' licences. The deletion invalidated all licences granted since last October, but the correction is retrospective.

It also provides that nurses can take blood or urine samples in Garda stations. Up to now only doctors could take such samples.

Fine Gael's transport spokeswoman Olivia Mitchell said it was "really a bit of an embarrassment that we are amending legislation we only passed the last week we sat, before the summer break".

What had happened showed the difficulties "when we do not have the type of scrutiny which is absolutely essential for legislation". A "hodge-podge" of items were passed in the previous legislation and it was done "in an enormous hurry". The debate was "guillotined and the result is defective legislation. By failing in what we do, we make it almost impossible for the practitioners - judges, barristers, solicitors, local authorities and most of all the unfortunate gardaí - to do their jobs".

Kathleen Lynch (Labour, Cork North Central) said it was "evident that the Department does not have the necessary resources in order to produce legislation that is not flawed. We are not blaming anybody, merely stating that the resources are insufficient.

"Surely a department that relies so heavily on a legislation-based approach should have its own senior counsel."

Green transport spokesman Éamon Ryan said engineering was not getting sufficient priority.

"The only correct approach is to have no tolerance, not only for drink driving, but also for road conditions that allow or tend to lead to road accidents occurring. I would like to see the resources of the State being invested in the crucial area of road design and engineering, down to every junction."

Sinn Féin's transport spokesman Seán Crowe referred to accidents at a single location. "People say this is down to bad driving, but it is also down to people's frustration with trying to get out of traffic, get to work or take their children to school. Being caught in bottlenecks causes problems."