31 December 2011
The number of road deaths fall to 186 in 2011, which is the lowest level on record and is down from 2010. The Government’s target of no more than 262 road deaths a year by 2012 is achieved well ahead of target.
20 November 2011
PARC hold their Day of Remembrance for Road Traffic Victims ceremony in Castleknock, Dublin today.
28 October 2011
Section 63 of the Road Traffic Act 2010 is enacted by Minister for Transport Mr Leo Varadkar today. This should end the practice of many convicted drivers being able to avoid penalty points being applied to their driving licence if convicted in court.
October 2011
Garda Commissioner increases the fees charged to bereaved families for information relating to the crash that ended their loved one’s death. The increases have led to the cost of a photocopy of a witness statement rising from €21 to €40 and the cost of an abstract report from €41 to €60.
27 October 2011
Joint Oireachtas on Transport reply to PARC informing them of position on provision for testing an unconscious driver involved in a fatal or injury related crash. Minister for Transport Mr Leo Varadkar confirms that a provision is included in the current bill being drafted.
19 October 2011
Minister for Transport Mr Leo Varadkar replies to PARC's request to test unconscious drivers involved in serious collisions.
11 October 2011
PARC write to Minister for Transport Mr Leo Varadkar calling for Legislation for the testing of unconscious drivers involved in fatal or injury related crashes.
September 2011
Minister for Transport Mr Leo Varadkar contacts PARC member Susan Gray. He has discovered that over 100,000 penalty points have not been applied to driving licences to date. He is determined to close this loophole soon by enacting Section 63 of the 2010 Road Traffic Act.
19 September 2011
PARC Committee Members invited to speak on RTE Frontline tonight. Pat Kenny discusses the issue of the lower drink drive limit which came into force. Susan Gray spoke with Minister for Transport Mr Leo Varadkar on concerns with the penalty points system whereby 96pc of drivers convicted in court avoid penalty points. He agreed to look into the matter.
17 September 2011
Susan Gray interview with RTE Charlie Bird on PARC’s road safety concerns.
17 August 2011
Irish Times report PARC's call for an end to Garda charging bereaved families for information relating to the collision in which their loved one died. (Call for waiver on crash report fees - David Labanyi)
10 August 2011
PARC send written submissions to Minister for Transport Mr Leo Varadkar and the Joint Oireachtas on Transport Committee requesting a provision to be included in the next road traffic Bill for the testing of an unconscious driver involved in a fatal or serious crash resulting in death or injury to another. Although there is legislation now to test drivers involved in a serious crash there still remains a possible loophole. An unconscious driver who may have been intoxicated at the time of the fatal/serious crash would not be tested. The proposal is to take the sample, and hold it until the driver could give consent for that sample to be tested. If they refuse, it’s an offence. It is already common procedure in Northern Ireland and the UK. Submission
8 July
2011
Doctors have backed Government plans in the Road Traffic No 2 Bill to test drivers involved in serious crashes for alcohol. The Irish Medical Organisation (IMO) agree that proposals to take samples in hospital would act as a deterrent to many drivers. Former IMO president Dr. Declan Bedford, a public health specialist with the HSE, said research showed that just 10pc of drivers who survived a serious collision were tested for alcohol or drugs in hospital.
7 July 2011
A new directive facilitating the cross border exchange of information on road traffic offences was agreed in Strasbourg today by the European Parliament, Ireland UK and Denmark were the only EU countries that opted out of adopting this directive. To date the only agreement between the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland relates to disqualified drivers. This new directive would mean that Ireland could prosecute non-residents for road traffic offences such as drink/drug driving, speeding and using a mobile phone while driving and non-use of a seat belt. The following is a reply to a parliamentary question put to Minister Varadkar last week on behalf of PARC – ‘Ireland was not in a position to opt into the proposed Directive, under the terms of Protocol (No.21), prior to the expiry of the three month deadline pursuant to Title V, due to the dissolution of the last Dail and the General Election. The terms of the Directive were agreed in December last and approval of both Houses of the Oireachtas required for opting-in within the three month period. I will, however, give careful consideration to opting into the completed measure subsequent to its adoption. A decision to opt in at that time will be referred for approval to both Houses of the Oireachtas.
6 July 2011
PARC calls for the immediate enactment of Sections of the Road Traffic Act 2010 which have not been implemented as yet. Section 63 has provision to close a legal loophole whereby 96pc of drivers convicted in court get no penalty points. Section 38 covers a loophole with regard to a fixed charge notice.
5 July 2011
PARC members attend the Transport Committee Debate on the Road Traffic No. 2 Bill today. This bill has provisions to test an unconscious driver involved in an injury related crash. A sample can be taken from such drivers and held until the driver can give consent for that sample to be tested for intoxicants. PARC members spoke with Minister for Transport Mr Leo Varadkar on the great need to have this bill passed and enacted as soon as possible. We will follow this life saving bill very closely as it goes through all stages in the Dail and Seanad.
28 June 2011
Deputy Tommy Broughan raises a Parliamentary Question on behalf of PARC. ‘To ask the Minister for Justice and Equality if he will consider extending the time limit allowed of six months in order for a complaint to be taken to the Garda Síochána Ombudsman Commission; and if he will make a statement on the matter’.
REPLY :
Section 84 (1) of the Garda Síochána Act 2005 provides for a period of six months, beginning on the date of the conduct giving rise to the complaint, for a person to make a complaint to the Garda Síochána Ombudsman Commission. Section 84 (2) of that Act provides for an extension of the six month deadline if the Ombudsman Commission considers that there are good reasons for doing so. In my opinion the six month deadline, together with the discretion afforded to the Ombudsman Commission to extend the time in particular cases where it is of the view that there is good reason to do so, strikes the right balance and provides a system that is fair and equitable to both members of the public who wish to make a complaint, and members of the Garda Síochána who will have to defend themselves in the face of such complaint and I do not propose to bring amending legislation to alter this statutory position.
8 June 2011
Launch of The Road Safety Authority and An Garda Síochána ‘Your Road to Safety’ campaign for Donegal. PARC members attended and raised concerns that road traffic collision injuries requiring hospitalisation were seriously under-reported in the ‘Donegal Road Collisions Facts 1996-2009’.
6 June 2011
PARC members and supporters take part in the Dublin Flora Women’s Mini Marathon today in memory of our lost loves ones in road traffic crashes.
1 June 2011
After 5 years of campaigning for mandatory alcohol testing of all drivers involved in serious road traffic collisions PARC road safety group have finally witnessed this life saving piece of legislation being enacted today by Minister for Transport Mr Leo Varadkar. From today the 1st June 2011 Gardai are required to conduct mandatory alcohol testing of all drivers involved in a road traffic collision resulting in injury. All drivers involved will be either tested at the scene or, if injured, tested in hospital unless it is prejudicial to their health. However PARC is still concerned with a possible loophole whereby Gardai do not have the power to request a doctor to test an unconscious driver even though that driver may have caused death and serious injury to others. Dr. Declan Bedford’s research has shown that nine out of ten surviving drivers involved in fatal crashes in Ireland were not tested for alcohol in the past. Mr. Noel Brett, CEO, Road Safety Authority welcomes mandatory testing at crash scenes saying ‘this measure is another very important step towards removing the scourge of drunk driving from our roads and will save many lives and prevent many serious injuries’. Road Traffic Act 2011 (pdf)
26 May
PARC road safety group members invited to speak at The Road Safety Authority International Conference today held in Dublin Castle and focusing on ‘The Human Impact of Road Collisions’. PARC Committee members Susan Gray and Ann Fogarty made a presentation at the conference, focusing on the role that the group plays representing the survivors and family members of road traffic collisions. The conference raised much needed awareness of the impact of road collisions on people’s lives and was addressed by experts from Ireland, the UK and America working in the area of road safety. It included presentations on the psychological effect of road crashes; the long-term impact of road collisions on survivors’ lives; the Golden Hour; experiences of front line staff; the consequences of road collisions from a rehabilitation perspective; and the lasting impact of road collisions on victims’ family members.
24 May 2011
ROAD TRAFFIC COLLISIONS IN IRELAND, 2005-2009
A national study carried out by Dr. Declan Bedford, specialist in public health medicine in HSE has revealed that more than three times as many people are seriously injured in road traffic collisions than has been reported to date. Between 2005 and 2009, 14,861 people were treated as hospital in patients with injuries sustained in road traffic collisions, which was 3.5 times greater than figures released by the RSA based on Garda statistics.
17 May 2011
Irish Independent report today that 96pc of drivers convicted in court get no penalty points. Drivers convicted of some of the most serious offences are not getting the points because court clerks have no power to demand their licence details. Latest figures show that 25,968 drivers are getting convictions, but just 1,100 have had points applied. The Department of Transport said new regulations requiring defendants to furnish details of their licence to the court clerks will be enacted next month, but computer systems operated by the Gardai, the court service and the National Vehicle Driver File where penalty points are recorded needed to be addressed.www.independent.ie/irish-news/96pc-of-drivers-convicted-in-court-get-no-penalty-points-26733304.html
11 May 2011
PARC members join the Road Safety Authority and An Garda Síochána to mark the UN Decade of Action for Road Safety in Dublin today.
2 May 2011
PARC supporters take part in the Belfast marathon in memory of lost friends in the Inishowen road traffic tragedy of 11 July 2010 and to raise funds for PARC road safety group. We thank these Buncrana girls most sincerely for their support.
27 April 2011
PARC write to Garda Commissioner Martin Callinan requesting an update on the working group set up in October 2010 to discuss the abolishment of fees charged by Gardai to bereaved families of road traffic victims. Gardai charge €21 for a photocopy of each witness statement and €41 for a copy of the Garda Abstract Report.
20 April 2011
The Minister for Transport Mr. Leo Varadkar passes the Road Traffic Bill 2011 today in the Dail and plans to have it enacted within the next few weeks. All drivers involved in a collision resulting in death or injury will be tested for alcohol unless Gardai or medical personal believe that it may be prejudicial to health. The unconscious driver will be covered in the Road Traffic Bill (no 2) which the Transport Department is drafting at present.
19 April 2011
PARC committee members will attend the Dail on Wednesday 20th April for the report and final stages of the Road Traffic Bill 2011. Our concerns will be raised through amendments tabled at the report stage of this bill.
23 March 2011
PARC members attended Dail today for Debate on the Road Traffic Bill 2011 and welcomed Mr. Leo Varadkar to his new post as Transport Minister. We discussed with him our serious concerns with the proposed new Traffic Bill. We informed him of laws in Northern Ireland relating to testing an unconscious driver in hospital after being involved in a fatal or serious crash and asked that he makes a provision for this in the Road Traffic Bill 2011.
14 -15th March 2011
WHO hosts global meeting of NGOs advocating for road safety and road victims.
The gathering, held at the headquarters of the Pan American Health Organization in Washington, DC, convened 100 participants representing NGOs from 48 countries. The group shared experiences and approaches to advocating for road safety and road victims; disused creation of a global alliance of NGOs. All participating NGOs will further develop their plans for the launch of the Decade of Action for Road Safety on 11 May 2011.
14 March 2011
PARC members have been invited by Dr Etienne Krug, Director of the World Health Organisation to attend the 2nd Global Conference of NGOs advocating for Road Safety and Road Traffic Victims which is being held in Washington DC on the 14th & 15th March where they will represent PARC Road Safety Group. The conference will have representatives from NGOs worldwide and global plans for road safety for the coming decade will be discussed and finalised at this gathering.
28 February 2011
Ms Ann Fogarty PARC, gave a road safety talk today to the transition year students in St. Mary’s College in Arklow on the invitation of Ms Joanne Stapleton. This talk was given in conjunction with the Garda Síochána’s presentation ” It won’t happen to me”.
12 January 2011
Oireachtas road safety discussion.
http://oireachtasdebates.oireachtas.ie/Debates%20Authoring/DebatesWebPack.nsf/committeetakes/TRJ2011011200004
1 January 2011
A total of 212 people have lost their lives on Irish roads in 2010. This is the lowest since records began in 1961. 26 less road deaths compared to 2009.
The number of road deaths fall to 186 in 2011, which is the lowest level on record and is down from 2010. The Government’s target of no more than 262 road deaths a year by 2012 is achieved well ahead of target.
20 November 2011
PARC hold their Day of Remembrance for Road Traffic Victims ceremony in Castleknock, Dublin today.
28 October 2011
Section 63 of the Road Traffic Act 2010 is enacted by Minister for Transport Mr Leo Varadkar today. This should end the practice of many convicted drivers being able to avoid penalty points being applied to their driving licence if convicted in court.
October 2011
Garda Commissioner increases the fees charged to bereaved families for information relating to the crash that ended their loved one’s death. The increases have led to the cost of a photocopy of a witness statement rising from €21 to €40 and the cost of an abstract report from €41 to €60.
27 October 2011
Joint Oireachtas on Transport reply to PARC informing them of position on provision for testing an unconscious driver involved in a fatal or injury related crash. Minister for Transport Mr Leo Varadkar confirms that a provision is included in the current bill being drafted.
19 October 2011
Minister for Transport Mr Leo Varadkar replies to PARC's request to test unconscious drivers involved in serious collisions.
11 October 2011
PARC write to Minister for Transport Mr Leo Varadkar calling for Legislation for the testing of unconscious drivers involved in fatal or injury related crashes.
September 2011
Minister for Transport Mr Leo Varadkar contacts PARC member Susan Gray. He has discovered that over 100,000 penalty points have not been applied to driving licences to date. He is determined to close this loophole soon by enacting Section 63 of the 2010 Road Traffic Act.
19 September 2011
PARC Committee Members invited to speak on RTE Frontline tonight. Pat Kenny discusses the issue of the lower drink drive limit which came into force. Susan Gray spoke with Minister for Transport Mr Leo Varadkar on concerns with the penalty points system whereby 96pc of drivers convicted in court avoid penalty points. He agreed to look into the matter.
17 September 2011
Susan Gray interview with RTE Charlie Bird on PARC’s road safety concerns.
17 August 2011
Irish Times report PARC's call for an end to Garda charging bereaved families for information relating to the collision in which their loved one died. (Call for waiver on crash report fees - David Labanyi)
10 August 2011
PARC send written submissions to Minister for Transport Mr Leo Varadkar and the Joint Oireachtas on Transport Committee requesting a provision to be included in the next road traffic Bill for the testing of an unconscious driver involved in a fatal or serious crash resulting in death or injury to another. Although there is legislation now to test drivers involved in a serious crash there still remains a possible loophole. An unconscious driver who may have been intoxicated at the time of the fatal/serious crash would not be tested. The proposal is to take the sample, and hold it until the driver could give consent for that sample to be tested. If they refuse, it’s an offence. It is already common procedure in Northern Ireland and the UK. Submission
8 July
2011
Doctors have backed Government plans in the Road Traffic No 2 Bill to test drivers involved in serious crashes for alcohol. The Irish Medical Organisation (IMO) agree that proposals to take samples in hospital would act as a deterrent to many drivers. Former IMO president Dr. Declan Bedford, a public health specialist with the HSE, said research showed that just 10pc of drivers who survived a serious collision were tested for alcohol or drugs in hospital.
7 July 2011
A new directive facilitating the cross border exchange of information on road traffic offences was agreed in Strasbourg today by the European Parliament, Ireland UK and Denmark were the only EU countries that opted out of adopting this directive. To date the only agreement between the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland relates to disqualified drivers. This new directive would mean that Ireland could prosecute non-residents for road traffic offences such as drink/drug driving, speeding and using a mobile phone while driving and non-use of a seat belt. The following is a reply to a parliamentary question put to Minister Varadkar last week on behalf of PARC – ‘Ireland was not in a position to opt into the proposed Directive, under the terms of Protocol (No.21), prior to the expiry of the three month deadline pursuant to Title V, due to the dissolution of the last Dail and the General Election. The terms of the Directive were agreed in December last and approval of both Houses of the Oireachtas required for opting-in within the three month period. I will, however, give careful consideration to opting into the completed measure subsequent to its adoption. A decision to opt in at that time will be referred for approval to both Houses of the Oireachtas.
6 July 2011
PARC calls for the immediate enactment of Sections of the Road Traffic Act 2010 which have not been implemented as yet. Section 63 has provision to close a legal loophole whereby 96pc of drivers convicted in court get no penalty points. Section 38 covers a loophole with regard to a fixed charge notice.
5 July 2011
PARC members attend the Transport Committee Debate on the Road Traffic No. 2 Bill today. This bill has provisions to test an unconscious driver involved in an injury related crash. A sample can be taken from such drivers and held until the driver can give consent for that sample to be tested for intoxicants. PARC members spoke with Minister for Transport Mr Leo Varadkar on the great need to have this bill passed and enacted as soon as possible. We will follow this life saving bill very closely as it goes through all stages in the Dail and Seanad.
28 June 2011
Deputy Tommy Broughan raises a Parliamentary Question on behalf of PARC. ‘To ask the Minister for Justice and Equality if he will consider extending the time limit allowed of six months in order for a complaint to be taken to the Garda Síochána Ombudsman Commission; and if he will make a statement on the matter’.
REPLY :
Section 84 (1) of the Garda Síochána Act 2005 provides for a period of six months, beginning on the date of the conduct giving rise to the complaint, for a person to make a complaint to the Garda Síochána Ombudsman Commission. Section 84 (2) of that Act provides for an extension of the six month deadline if the Ombudsman Commission considers that there are good reasons for doing so. In my opinion the six month deadline, together with the discretion afforded to the Ombudsman Commission to extend the time in particular cases where it is of the view that there is good reason to do so, strikes the right balance and provides a system that is fair and equitable to both members of the public who wish to make a complaint, and members of the Garda Síochána who will have to defend themselves in the face of such complaint and I do not propose to bring amending legislation to alter this statutory position.
8 June 2011
Launch of The Road Safety Authority and An Garda Síochána ‘Your Road to Safety’ campaign for Donegal. PARC members attended and raised concerns that road traffic collision injuries requiring hospitalisation were seriously under-reported in the ‘Donegal Road Collisions Facts 1996-2009’.
6 June 2011
PARC members and supporters take part in the Dublin Flora Women’s Mini Marathon today in memory of our lost loves ones in road traffic crashes.
1 June 2011
After 5 years of campaigning for mandatory alcohol testing of all drivers involved in serious road traffic collisions PARC road safety group have finally witnessed this life saving piece of legislation being enacted today by Minister for Transport Mr Leo Varadkar. From today the 1st June 2011 Gardai are required to conduct mandatory alcohol testing of all drivers involved in a road traffic collision resulting in injury. All drivers involved will be either tested at the scene or, if injured, tested in hospital unless it is prejudicial to their health. However PARC is still concerned with a possible loophole whereby Gardai do not have the power to request a doctor to test an unconscious driver even though that driver may have caused death and serious injury to others. Dr. Declan Bedford’s research has shown that nine out of ten surviving drivers involved in fatal crashes in Ireland were not tested for alcohol in the past. Mr. Noel Brett, CEO, Road Safety Authority welcomes mandatory testing at crash scenes saying ‘this measure is another very important step towards removing the scourge of drunk driving from our roads and will save many lives and prevent many serious injuries’. Road Traffic Act 2011 (pdf)
26 May
PARC road safety group members invited to speak at The Road Safety Authority International Conference today held in Dublin Castle and focusing on ‘The Human Impact of Road Collisions’. PARC Committee members Susan Gray and Ann Fogarty made a presentation at the conference, focusing on the role that the group plays representing the survivors and family members of road traffic collisions. The conference raised much needed awareness of the impact of road collisions on people’s lives and was addressed by experts from Ireland, the UK and America working in the area of road safety. It included presentations on the psychological effect of road crashes; the long-term impact of road collisions on survivors’ lives; the Golden Hour; experiences of front line staff; the consequences of road collisions from a rehabilitation perspective; and the lasting impact of road collisions on victims’ family members.
24 May 2011
ROAD TRAFFIC COLLISIONS IN IRELAND, 2005-2009
A national study carried out by Dr. Declan Bedford, specialist in public health medicine in HSE has revealed that more than three times as many people are seriously injured in road traffic collisions than has been reported to date. Between 2005 and 2009, 14,861 people were treated as hospital in patients with injuries sustained in road traffic collisions, which was 3.5 times greater than figures released by the RSA based on Garda statistics.
17 May 2011
Irish Independent report today that 96pc of drivers convicted in court get no penalty points. Drivers convicted of some of the most serious offences are not getting the points because court clerks have no power to demand their licence details. Latest figures show that 25,968 drivers are getting convictions, but just 1,100 have had points applied. The Department of Transport said new regulations requiring defendants to furnish details of their licence to the court clerks will be enacted next month, but computer systems operated by the Gardai, the court service and the National Vehicle Driver File where penalty points are recorded needed to be addressed.www.independent.ie/irish-news/96pc-of-drivers-convicted-in-court-get-no-penalty-points-26733304.html
11 May 2011
PARC members join the Road Safety Authority and An Garda Síochána to mark the UN Decade of Action for Road Safety in Dublin today.
2 May 2011
PARC supporters take part in the Belfast marathon in memory of lost friends in the Inishowen road traffic tragedy of 11 July 2010 and to raise funds for PARC road safety group. We thank these Buncrana girls most sincerely for their support.
27 April 2011
PARC write to Garda Commissioner Martin Callinan requesting an update on the working group set up in October 2010 to discuss the abolishment of fees charged by Gardai to bereaved families of road traffic victims. Gardai charge €21 for a photocopy of each witness statement and €41 for a copy of the Garda Abstract Report.
20 April 2011
The Minister for Transport Mr. Leo Varadkar passes the Road Traffic Bill 2011 today in the Dail and plans to have it enacted within the next few weeks. All drivers involved in a collision resulting in death or injury will be tested for alcohol unless Gardai or medical personal believe that it may be prejudicial to health. The unconscious driver will be covered in the Road Traffic Bill (no 2) which the Transport Department is drafting at present.
19 April 2011
PARC committee members will attend the Dail on Wednesday 20th April for the report and final stages of the Road Traffic Bill 2011. Our concerns will be raised through amendments tabled at the report stage of this bill.
23 March 2011
PARC members attended Dail today for Debate on the Road Traffic Bill 2011 and welcomed Mr. Leo Varadkar to his new post as Transport Minister. We discussed with him our serious concerns with the proposed new Traffic Bill. We informed him of laws in Northern Ireland relating to testing an unconscious driver in hospital after being involved in a fatal or serious crash and asked that he makes a provision for this in the Road Traffic Bill 2011.
14 -15th March 2011
WHO hosts global meeting of NGOs advocating for road safety and road victims.
The gathering, held at the headquarters of the Pan American Health Organization in Washington, DC, convened 100 participants representing NGOs from 48 countries. The group shared experiences and approaches to advocating for road safety and road victims; disused creation of a global alliance of NGOs. All participating NGOs will further develop their plans for the launch of the Decade of Action for Road Safety on 11 May 2011.
14 March 2011
PARC members have been invited by Dr Etienne Krug, Director of the World Health Organisation to attend the 2nd Global Conference of NGOs advocating for Road Safety and Road Traffic Victims which is being held in Washington DC on the 14th & 15th March where they will represent PARC Road Safety Group. The conference will have representatives from NGOs worldwide and global plans for road safety for the coming decade will be discussed and finalised at this gathering.
28 February 2011
Ms Ann Fogarty PARC, gave a road safety talk today to the transition year students in St. Mary’s College in Arklow on the invitation of Ms Joanne Stapleton. This talk was given in conjunction with the Garda Síochána’s presentation ” It won’t happen to me”.
12 January 2011
Oireachtas road safety discussion.
http://oireachtasdebates.oireachtas.ie/Debates%20Authoring/DebatesWebPack.nsf/committeetakes/TRJ2011011200004
1 January 2011
A total of 212 people have lost their lives on Irish roads in 2010. This is the lowest since records began in 1961. 26 less road deaths compared to 2009.
