Road Traffic Matters

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Ireland has developed a multi-agency approach to road safety through the involvement of a number of agencies working in partnership.

The Department of Transport has responsibility for road safety policy and legislation.

The Road Safety Authority (RSA), which comes under the aegis of DTTAS, has particular responsibility for the development of Ireland’s Road Safety Strategy and policies, as well as statutory responsibility for compilation of road collision statistics and the publication of the annual Road Collision Facts Handbook.

An Garda Síochána, which comes under the aegis of the Department of Justice, is responsible for the enforcement of road safety legislation and plays a key role in the delivery of the goals set out in the Road Safety Strategy.

A central component of the Road Safety Strategy is enforcement. The policing priorities, as determined by the Policing Authority in accordance with section 20 (1a) of the Garda Síochána Act 2005 (as amended), include a focus on safeguarding road users. This is reflected in An Garda Síochána’s 2019 Policing Plan.

Gardaí continue to focus their enforcement activities on high risk behaviour and on identified vulnerable road users with a view to reducing the number of serious injury collisions and fatalities on our roads.

Under the Road Safety Strategy and its predecessors, An Garda Síochána has introduced a series of initiatives, including:

• establishing the Roads Policing Units
• introducing mandatory intoxicant testing (MIT) for drivers
• introduction of a safety camera network, operated by a private service provider

These initiatives have made a significant contribution to reducing road fatalities.

Further information on these initiatives is on the Garda website.

The Minister participates in the work of the Ministerial-Committee on Road Safety, the function of which is to oversee the implementation of the Road Safety Strategy and provide a forum for high-level discussion of road safety issues. The Committee is chaired by the Minister for Transport and attended by the Attorney General, CEO of the Road Safety Authority, the Garda Commissioner and officials from other relevant bodies.

The Fixed Charge Processing System (FCPS), together with the penalty point system, has formed a key part in Ireland’s Road Safety Strategy for several years contributing to enforcement and the reduction in road fatalities.