East Antrim DUP MLA Alastair Ross has said that the Assembly is heading in the right direction in relation to road safety, and paid tribute to DUP Environment Ministers for committing to bring forward legislation to tackle carnage on our roads. Mr Ross made his comments following a lengthy session of the DoE Committee this morning which heard evidence from the PSNI on the issue of road safety. Mr Ross has himself gained all-Party support for his Assembly motions calling on the introduction of graduated drivers licensing and for a reduction of the drink drive limit. Commenting, the East Antrim Assemblyman said,
“One of the major issues of discussion at the Assembly since the return of devolution has been the matter of road safety, and the unacceptably high number of deaths on our roads. It is staggering to think that in 2008 there were close to 40,000 lives lost through road traffic accidents across Europe, with Northern Ireland contributing 115 to that figure.
This morning the Environment Committee heard evidence from the PSNI on road policing, and they shared their views on what measures the Assembly should introduce to reduce the amount of fatalities on our roads. It was pleasing that the DUP has already been calling for many of those actions, and following all Party support for motions on lowering the drink drive limit and GDL that I tabled some time ago, consecutive DUP Environment Ministers have indicated their desire to push through these reforms and make Northern Ireland a leading example when it comes to road safety initiatives.
Other departments also have their own challenges, with DRD being responsible for introducing more ‘twenty’s plenty’ safe zones, and along with the PSNI getting more average speed camera systems operating on roads where speed has been an issue. Existing average speed cameras on the way to Bangor and Newry have been extremely successful, to the extent were very little money is being collected by way of speeding fines. This clearly has an impact upon running costs, but more importantly shows how effective they are.
It is important that politicians work closely with the PSNI on road safety issues, whether that be in getting public support for random breathalyser testing, new drug drive testing procedures or ensuring that younger drivers are better trained before being behind the wheel on their own. We must also examine the effectiveness and test the social impact of initiatives that have been introduced elsewhere, such as granting the PSNI or DoE with the power to confiscate vehicles from drivers who have been convicted of drink driving or serious road traffic offences. This is currently the situation in Scotland, and the PSNI want similar powers for Northern Ireland.
Despite advances in recent years it is important that we are not complacent when it comes to road safety. Whilst safety features on cars are improving all the time we must also recognise that driver behaviour must be changed and enforcement must be effective. This is the only way that we will make real progress on making our roads safer.”
