Taoiseach commits to resolve issues around sharing of road crash data

'The rise in the number of deaths on our roads is unacceptable, and a renewed focus is needed on road safety and driver behaviour,' said Taoiseach Simon Harris. Picture: Sasko Lazarov/ RollingNews.ie

The Taoiseach has committed to legislative changes, if they are required, to address General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) issues surrounding the sharing of data on road traffic collisions.

The proposal was one of a number of measures agreed during a meeting between the Taoiseach, Cabinet ministers, and Road Safety Authority (RSA) bosses on Monday aimed at addressing the rising number of fatalities on Irish roads so far this year.

Until 2020, the RSA shared up-to-date data on road traffic collisions with local authorities — and their road engineering teams — via an interactive map system. However, when doubts were raised in the RSA as to whether it could share such data under GDPR, the sharing of the data ended.

The RSA then shared data with the Local Government Management Agency until the latter agency asked the RSA to cease, due to legal advice about its statutory ability to receive such data.

At Monday’s meeting, attended by Simon Harris, Transport Minister Eamon Ryan, Justice Minister Helen McEntee, minister of state at the Department of Transport Jack Chambers, RSA chairwoman Liz O’Donnell, and RSA CEO Sam Waide, it was agreed that the Department of Transport would engage with the Local Government Management Agency to examine options to resume interim sharing of crash data.

It was also agreed that a proposal from the RSA-led Data Enabler Group would be provided to the Data Protection Commissioner regarding the sharing of such data as soon as possible.

Road safety campaigns

Also at the meeting, the RSA committed to spending an additional €3m in funding for road safety campaigns and education initiatives between this month and the end of the year, and to identify its funding needs for the remainder of 2023. 

It was also noted that An Garda Síochána will be asked to make its ongoing enforcement activity plans available.

Earlier on Monday, the Government confirmed that new cameras that automatically fine motorists who break red lights will be introduced later this year.

Ministers and the RSA also pledged to work to resolve “technical and legal issues so enforcement cameras can identify mobile-phone use and seatbelt-wearing as offences”, to progress a review of the driving test curriculum, and to reduce driving test wait times and NCT wait times.

Ministerial road safety committee

Finally, the Taoiseach confirmed he would chair a meeting of the Government’s ministerial road safety committee in the coming weeks to ensure “urgent progress on these and other actions in response to the recent deterioration in road safety”.

“After nearly two decades of positive progress, we have seen recently a sudden — and worrying — increase in road deaths,” said the Taoiseach.

“The rise in the number of deaths on our roads is unacceptable, and a renewed focus is needed on road safety and driver behaviour.”