DUP MLA Alastair Ross has said that 2009 was a terrible year on our roads, and that legislators at Stormont must now consider a range of options aimed at making our roads safer and ensuring that drivers are adequately prepared to be behind a wheel. Over the past two years Mr Ross has personally brought motions to the floor of the Northern Ireland Assembly calling for the introduction of Graduated Driver Licensing and also for the reduction of the current drink drive limit. Commenting, the East Antrim MLA and member of the Stormont Environment Committee said,
“Whilst I have already secured cross-Party support for motions calling on tougher drink drive limits and on Graduated Drivers Licensing, it is now time for legislators to turn that support in to action. It is pleasing that the Environment Minister Edwin Poots is now going to launch a consultation on GDL, following the previous Minister, Sammy Wilson, launching a consultation on lowering the current drink drive limit.
The fact that in 2009 we have seen more people lose their lives on the roads than in the previous year demonstrates the need for action. Whilst some of this action may involve further restrictions on drivers, there is also the need to ensure that new drivers are given better training and are prepared for any eventuality that they may face on our roads. The three E’s of enforcement, engineering and education are key.
Many accidents on our roads are preventable. Lower speed limits outside schools during term time, road calming measures in built up areas, random breath testing and tougher sentences for those who flout the road safety laws are essentially if we are to seriously tackle this massive challenge.
A reduction of the drink drive limit reflects the fact that drinking even a modest amount of alcohol before getting behind the wheel of a car can dramatically reduce an individual’s ability to execute the simplest of driving tasks. Drink driving not only puts the driver at risk, but also the lives of everyone else who shares the road.
Evidence also shows that novice drivers, generally between aged between 17 and 24, are most at risk from being involved in a serious road accident in the year after passing their test. This is not because of their age; it is because they do not have the same experience on the roads as those who have been driving for much longer. There may therefore be merit in looking to amend current restrictions placed on ‘R’ drivers, even if some measures are unpopular.
Whilst government must make efforts to introduce measures that may help, ultimately each and every individual who gets behind the wheel must exercise personal responsibility, slow down and ensure that they do not take unnecessary risks on the roads. All of us, whether legislators or individual citizens, must work together to reduce the carnage on Northern Irelands roads in 2010.”
