Ahern makes case for random breath tests

Random breath testing must be introduced to cut the mounting carnage on Irish roads, Taoiseach Bertie Ahern told the Dáil today.

Minister for Transport Martin Cullen has previously said that legal difficulties had delayed legislation on the issue.

But Mr Ahern told Opposition party leaders today that the Government was left with no alternative to reduce the number of road traffic accidents.

He said 26 people had lost their lives in the past two weeks, while an average of over one a day had died this year.

“The question of the adoption of changes in the circumstances where the driver of the vehicle can be subject to roadside breath testing has been given careful consideration.

“The road safety regulations will be amended to deal with those issues which have to be finalised.”

He said the Minister for Justice and Minister for Transport were working together to resolve legal and practical difficulties.

“They believe that there can be a resolution,” he explained.

“More stringent enforcement of the law upsets the public at times when there are more checkpoints. But I can’t see any other alternative. We cannot allow a situation where hundreds of people – more than one a day – die.

“There is no alternative but to put that (breath testing) through.”

Earlier raising the issue, Fine Gael leader Enda Kenny queried why there were legal impediments to breath testing when drug testing could be introduced so readily by Minister for Justice Michael McDowell.

Ireland had the second lowest number of drink-driving checks within the EU, he said.

“Only one officer in major stations is trained to carry out breathalyser tests.

“The 100,000 people waiting for driving tests were paying an additional €50m in increased insurance a year,” he claimed.

Only 34 extra gardaí were assigned to the Traffic Corps in 2005 and mobile phones have still not been banned in cars, he added.

The Government had promised in 1998 to extend the penalty points system to cover 69 offences by 2003, but only three have been covered by the regime.

According to Mr Kenny, the Cabinet had also pledged in 1998 to roll out speed cameras across the country but only three are moved around 20 locations in the greater Dublin area.

“Tackling road safety needs a very strong political will and political leadership,” he said.

He said French president Jacques Chiraq has taken a personal interest in the issue and his country’s death toll has decreased.

Mr Ahern replied that there was disappointment that the impact of penalty points had waned since the period when they were first introduced.

“But if we didn’t have penalty points the situation would be worse again,” he said.

“We will look to reinforce the penalty points regime by expanding it to more road traffic offences.”

He said that the number of cars on the Republic’s roads had jumped by 40% since 1998.

About 86% of deaths are caused by driver error, with speed being the main killer.

“The number of fatalities is a major cause of concern.”

He said the Government had established a dedicated Garda Traffic Corps headed by an Assistant Garda Commissioner and had invested in a comprehensive national road building programme.