Drug tests and saliva swabs to cut road deaths
Transport Minister Leo Varadkar has also promised to put safety at sea at the top of his agenda, according to a statement of his “priorities for 2014” published yesterday. They include:
- Laying the foundations for a bid to host the 2023 Rugby World Cup, north and south of the border;
- Increasing overseas visits to Ireland by 4%, and revenue through tourism by 8%;
- Beginning work on the Gort to Tuam motorway in the West;
- Starting work on a National Indoor Arena at the National Sports Campus in Dublin;
- Working with CIÉ, Luas and other transport operators to increase the number of people using public transport by 2% to five million passenger journeys.
Mr Varadkar does not give specifics of costs or timelines involved in the projects, but rather a broad outline of his plans for the year.
Tenders will issue early in the year for roadside devices that will test drivers for illegal drugs that can impair driving which have been relatively undetected to date.
Under the plans, if the saliva sample taken is positive for the presence of drugs, the driver will be brought to a Garda station where a blood sample will be taken for analysis.
The minister plans to legislate for roadside drug testing and strengthen the penalties for driving in an impaired state.
Drug driving is currently an offence but the law does not specify an allowable level, nor does it distinguish between legal and illegal substances.
Mr Varadkar also promises to introduce new laws to regulate clamping companies. This is expected to cap the fees for releasing cars parked on private land at €80 and ensure clamping staff and their vehicles are clearly identifiable.
