PARC Road Safety and Victim Support Group’s Campaigns
Since 2006 when PARC was founded we have worked with families of victims of road traffic collisions and with all relevant stakeholders in road safety. This has resulted in many positive changes in road traffic legislation and driver behaviour to date.
PARC’s successful campaigns/work to date include:
2006-2011 – Campaign for mandatory testing of all drivers involved in fatal and serious collisions. Result: Law introduced on 1 June 2011 by the Minister for Transport Leo Varadkar under the Road Traffic Act 2011. Gardai must conduct a preliminary test at the scene of a RTC where someone has been injured and requires medical attention
2006-2014 – Campaign for the testing of unconscious/incapacitated drivers involved in fatal and serious collisions. Result: Law introduced on 27 November 2014 by the Transport Minister Paschal Donohue under the Road Traffic Act 2014. It is possible to take a specimen of blood from a driver who is incapacitated following a serious road traffic Collison and to test that specimen for intoxicants. The driver is asked, on regaining capacity, whether they consent to the issuing of a certificate of the test result on the specimen. Refusal is an offence.
2012 – PARC produced a free information booklet ‘Finding Your Way’ – a guide for families following the death or serious injury of a loved one in a RTC. Updated regularly. Copyright 2012 © PARC Road Safety Group. NALA Plain English Awards 2016- Highly commended document.
2008-2016 – Campaign for the abolition of Garda fees charged to bereaved families of RTC victims. Families were being charged €40 for each copy of a witness statement and €60 for an Abstract of the Garda report of the fatal collision when all State proceedings were completed. Result: From 1st January 2017 Gardai release documents free of charge to bereaved families.
2007-2018 - PARC commemorates the World Day of Remembrance for Road Traffic Victims on the third Sunday of November each year.
2012-2016 – Campaign for inclusion of the unborn in road traffic collision statistics. PARC member David Walsh campaigned following the death of his daughter Mary and unborn granddaughter Mollie in a RTC on 26th March 2012. Result: In 2016 the Road Safety Authority and An Garda Síochána included little Mollie Enright in the road traffic collision statistics for 2012.
2012-2013 – Campaign for major changes to the outdated Garda C(T) 68 form – a form used to collect information from the scene of a RTC. PARC members met with Garda authorities and were invited to make observations and suggestions regarding a review of the form. We sought changes in the way gardai collect collision data, to provide a much clearer picture of the causes behind road deaths. Result: The Road Traffic Collision Form, formerly C(T)68 was updated on 1st January 2014.
2016-2018 – Campaign to give Gardai the power to detain vehicles driven by an unaccompanied learner driver and to hold owners of vehicles liable if their vehicle is driven by an unaccompanied learner driver. The Clancy family began this campaign following the death of Geraldine and Louise Clancy in a RTC involving an unaccompanied learner driver on 22nd December 2015. Result: ‘The Clancy Amendments’ were included in the Road Traffic (Amendment) Act 2018.
2016-2018 – Campaign for automatic disqualification for first time drink driving offenders if detected with blood alcohol levels of between 50mg and 80mg. Result: Provision included in the Road Traffic (Amendment) Act 2018 signed into law on 23rd July 2018.
2012-2016 - PARC members attended District Courts nationwide. We found that drivers avoided penalty points by not producing their licence in court. We submitted reports of findings to the Ministers for Justice and Transport and to the Road Safety Authority. Result: On 13th April 2017 the Minister for Transport Shane Ross commenced section 33 of the Road Traffic Act 2016, requiring a presiding judge to request a driver on conviction to produce their licence.
2012-2015 – Campaign for an increase to the time limit for people to make a complaint to the Garda Síochána Ombudsman Commission (GSOC) on a Garda investigation in a collision, from six months to twelve months.
2012-2014 – Campaign for stronger penalties for unaccompanied learner drivers. Result: The Road Traffic Act 2014 provides for the imposing of penalty points for learner drivers who fail to display L-plates and/or driving unaccompanied. Law enacted 8 December 2014.
2012-2017 – Campaign for commencement of Section 44 of the Road Traffic Act 2010 to close a loophole whereby drivers avoid conviction and penalty points by claiming in court the non-receipt of a fixed charge notice. PARC members attended courts and submitted reports of findings to relevant State agencies. Result: Section 44 of the Road Traffic Act 2010 (3rd payment option) was commenced by the Minister for Transport Shane Ross on 1 June 2017.
In 2016 - PARC produced a road safety manifesto with an extensive list of priorities for road safety to reduce the level of death and injury on Irish roads.
2014-2015 – Campaign for gardai to be given the power of arrest of motorists detected driving while disqualified. Result: Law was introduced by Transport Minister Paschal Donohue on 22nd June 2015.
2007-2011 – In 2007 PARC conducted a national survey on reducing the drink driving limits in Ireland. We interviewed over 3,000 members of the public, face to face and delivered our findings to the Minister for Transport Noel Dempsey and to the Road Safety Authority. In 2009 we wrote to all Oireachtas members requesting their support. A lower drink driving limit was introduced in the Road Traffic Act 2010 and enacted on 28th October 2011.
2011 - PARC presentation at an International road safety conference. ‘The human Impact of Road Collisions’. In May 2011 PARC members were invited by the Road Safety Authority to speak at their International Road Safety Conference held in Dublin Castle. We focused on the role that our group plays in representing the survivors and family members of road traffic collisions.
2008 – The Chairperson of the Road Safety Authority Mr Gay Byrne presented PARC members Susan Gray and Ann Fogarty with the first ever Leading Lights Road Safety awards recognising the work of PARC in road safety.
2008-2010 – PARC’s work in road safety education included sponsoring road safety competitions in national schools in Donegal and producing a road safety calendar. We participated in garda road safety programmes in secondary schools and instigated a memorial road safety competition in conjunction with the VEC in Co. Wicklow.
Since 2006 when PARC was founded we have worked with families of victims of road traffic collisions and with all relevant stakeholders in road safety. This has resulted in many positive changes in road traffic legislation and driver behaviour to date.
PARC’s successful campaigns/work to date include:
2006-2011 – Campaign for mandatory testing of all drivers involved in fatal and serious collisions. Result: Law introduced on 1 June 2011 by the Minister for Transport Leo Varadkar under the Road Traffic Act 2011. Gardai must conduct a preliminary test at the scene of a RTC where someone has been injured and requires medical attention
2006-2014 – Campaign for the testing of unconscious/incapacitated drivers involved in fatal and serious collisions. Result: Law introduced on 27 November 2014 by the Transport Minister Paschal Donohue under the Road Traffic Act 2014. It is possible to take a specimen of blood from a driver who is incapacitated following a serious road traffic Collison and to test that specimen for intoxicants. The driver is asked, on regaining capacity, whether they consent to the issuing of a certificate of the test result on the specimen. Refusal is an offence.
2012 – PARC produced a free information booklet ‘Finding Your Way’ – a guide for families following the death or serious injury of a loved one in a RTC. Updated regularly. Copyright 2012 © PARC Road Safety Group. NALA Plain English Awards 2016- Highly commended document.
2008-2016 – Campaign for the abolition of Garda fees charged to bereaved families of RTC victims. Families were being charged €40 for each copy of a witness statement and €60 for an Abstract of the Garda report of the fatal collision when all State proceedings were completed. Result: From 1st January 2017 Gardai release documents free of charge to bereaved families.
2007-2018 - PARC commemorates the World Day of Remembrance for Road Traffic Victims on the third Sunday of November each year.
2012-2016 – Campaign for inclusion of the unborn in road traffic collision statistics. PARC member David Walsh campaigned following the death of his daughter Mary and unborn granddaughter Mollie in a RTC on 26th March 2012. Result: In 2016 the Road Safety Authority and An Garda Síochána included little Mollie Enright in the road traffic collision statistics for 2012.
2012-2013 – Campaign for major changes to the outdated Garda C(T) 68 form – a form used to collect information from the scene of a RTC. PARC members met with Garda authorities and were invited to make observations and suggestions regarding a review of the form. We sought changes in the way gardai collect collision data, to provide a much clearer picture of the causes behind road deaths. Result: The Road Traffic Collision Form, formerly C(T)68 was updated on 1st January 2014.
2016-2018 – Campaign to give Gardai the power to detain vehicles driven by an unaccompanied learner driver and to hold owners of vehicles liable if their vehicle is driven by an unaccompanied learner driver. The Clancy family began this campaign following the death of Geraldine and Louise Clancy in a RTC involving an unaccompanied learner driver on 22nd December 2015. Result: ‘The Clancy Amendments’ were included in the Road Traffic (Amendment) Act 2018.
2016-2018 – Campaign for automatic disqualification for first time drink driving offenders if detected with blood alcohol levels of between 50mg and 80mg. Result: Provision included in the Road Traffic (Amendment) Act 2018 signed into law on 23rd July 2018.
2012-2016 - PARC members attended District Courts nationwide. We found that drivers avoided penalty points by not producing their licence in court. We submitted reports of findings to the Ministers for Justice and Transport and to the Road Safety Authority. Result: On 13th April 2017 the Minister for Transport Shane Ross commenced section 33 of the Road Traffic Act 2016, requiring a presiding judge to request a driver on conviction to produce their licence.
2012-2015 – Campaign for an increase to the time limit for people to make a complaint to the Garda Síochána Ombudsman Commission (GSOC) on a Garda investigation in a collision, from six months to twelve months.
2012-2014 – Campaign for stronger penalties for unaccompanied learner drivers. Result: The Road Traffic Act 2014 provides for the imposing of penalty points for learner drivers who fail to display L-plates and/or driving unaccompanied. Law enacted 8 December 2014.
2012-2017 – Campaign for commencement of Section 44 of the Road Traffic Act 2010 to close a loophole whereby drivers avoid conviction and penalty points by claiming in court the non-receipt of a fixed charge notice. PARC members attended courts and submitted reports of findings to relevant State agencies. Result: Section 44 of the Road Traffic Act 2010 (3rd payment option) was commenced by the Minister for Transport Shane Ross on 1 June 2017.
In 2016 - PARC produced a road safety manifesto with an extensive list of priorities for road safety to reduce the level of death and injury on Irish roads.
2014-2015 – Campaign for gardai to be given the power of arrest of motorists detected driving while disqualified. Result: Law was introduced by Transport Minister Paschal Donohue on 22nd June 2015.
2007-2011 – In 2007 PARC conducted a national survey on reducing the drink driving limits in Ireland. We interviewed over 3,000 members of the public, face to face and delivered our findings to the Minister for Transport Noel Dempsey and to the Road Safety Authority. In 2009 we wrote to all Oireachtas members requesting their support. A lower drink driving limit was introduced in the Road Traffic Act 2010 and enacted on 28th October 2011.
2011 - PARC presentation at an International road safety conference. ‘The human Impact of Road Collisions’. In May 2011 PARC members were invited by the Road Safety Authority to speak at their International Road Safety Conference held in Dublin Castle. We focused on the role that our group plays in representing the survivors and family members of road traffic collisions.
2008 – The Chairperson of the Road Safety Authority Mr Gay Byrne presented PARC members Susan Gray and Ann Fogarty with the first ever Leading Lights Road Safety awards recognising the work of PARC in road safety.
2008-2010 – PARC’s work in road safety education included sponsoring road safety competitions in national schools in Donegal and producing a road safety calendar. We participated in garda road safety programmes in secondary schools and instigated a memorial road safety competition in conjunction with the VEC in Co. Wicklow.