16 May 2013
PARC Press Release
14 May 2013
Over 85,000 drivers avoid penalty points when summoned to court on road traffic offences.
Parliamentary Questions raised on penalty points.
9 April 2013
Non-Use of Motor Vehicles Bill 2013
Environment Minister Phil Hogan has published draft legislation which aims at clamping down on motor tax evaders. The new provisions will require all drivers to declare, months in advance, if their vehicle will be off the road for a period of time. This will put an end to the system whereby many drivers can drive without tax and claim, if they are not caught in the meantime, that their vehicle had not been driven on a public road. The current system allows drivers to simply sign a form in their local Garda station stating that their vehicle was off the road for months to avoid paying arrears of motor tax. In the near future they will have to inform their local Motor Tax Office well in advance.
28 March 2013
Minister for Transport Leo Varadkar launches the new Road Safety Strategy for 2013-2020.
The new Strategy sets a target for 2020 to reduce the number of road deaths to 124 a year ( from 162 in 2012) and serious injuries to 330 per year ( from 485 in 2012).
Best performing countries to date are the UK, Netherlands, Sweden and Australia.
Key targets included in the Road Safety Authority’s Strategy are:
- To reduce long term reliance on multiple learner permits by introducing measures to ensure that learner permit holders sit a driving test before they can obtain a subsequent learner permit.
- Work with the Irish Insurance Federation (IIF) to promote compliance with learner permit regulations and rules relating to vehicle modifications. Utilise customer databases to ensure that every learner permit holder covered by an Insurance Policy receives specific advice on learner permit regulations.
- Work with victim advocacy groups to inform the development and implementation of support/advisory information/counselling for families affected by road fatalities and serious injuries.
- To legislate for the implementation of chemical roadside testing for drugs in 2015.
- To update the penalty point system to ensure relevant sanctions are in place, amended as required and new sanctions are introduced to cover new road safety issues.
- Publish the Speed Limits Review report and implement its recommendations in 2014.
- Carry out a feasibility report on establishment of independent post-collision engineering assessment programme to review fatal and serious injury cases to include on-site engineering inspections.
- Integrate NCT and Commercial Vehicles Roadworthiness Test data into An Garda Siochana ITS system by 2014.
- Promote the greater use of An Garda Siochana Traffic Watch Scheme.
- Legislate, subject to legal advice, to prevent persons over the legal blood alcohol limit from acting as an accompanying driver for a Learner Permit holder.
- Review format and content of annual Road Collision Fact publication and promote greater uptake and utilisation of this data in 2013.
- Improve the recording collection and dissemination of road collision data, including the enhanced use of the Pulse System by beginning of 2014.
http://www.rsa.ie/en/Utility/News/Alerts/New-Road-Safety-Strategy-2013-to-2020-launched/
22 March 2013
Susan Gray presents Chief Justice Susan Denham and the Director of Public Prosecution Ms Claire Loftus with a copy of PARC’s guide – “Finding Your Way” following the death or serious injury of a loved one in a road traffic collision.
15 March 2013
As road death figures rise in 2013 with 15 more deaths on Irish roads compared to same period in 2012 PARC welcomes the news that Gardai are now rolling out 243 extra speed-camera locations.
By the end of March 2013 there will be 727 GoSafe safety camera sites with cameras operating on roads which have a history of collisions where speed was a contributory factor. Garda vans operated by the independent organisation “GoSafe”, on behalf of the Gardai since November 2010 are saving lives and preventing injuries on our roads.
If you are caught by a mobile speed camera van, you will receive notification in the post along with an €80 fine and two penalty points. Failure to pay this fine within 28 days will see it increase to €120 and failure to pay this will land you in a district court, four penalty points and up to an €800 fine! A map of locations where the speed cameras will be in operation can be viewed at: garda. ie/gosafe.html.
March 2013
Landmark Case
High Court judge Mr Justice Sean Ryan reduces damages of €190,500 awarded to a woman who suffered injuries resulting from a RTC by 40%. The judge stated that she should have known the driver of the car in which she was a passenger was impaired by alcohol. He also reduced the award because she was not wearing a seat belt at the time of the crash.
6 March 2013
Irish Times Article
PARC is deeply concerned that the law introduced nearly two years ago to ensure drivers involved in a fatal or injury related crash are tested for alcohol is not being fully applied.
The Irish Times report today that the Garda computer system has not been updated to take account of the mandatory tests required by law since 2011. The form used by Gardai to record the details of a crash on their PULSE computer system still contains a section where a Garda can state that they "formed an opinion" that no test for alcohol was required. This discretionary power was taken from Gardai on 1 June 2011 with the introduction of the Road Traffic Act 2011.
A Garda spokesman told the Irish Times that the C(T)68 form, used to record the details of a crash, was now going to be updated because it was creating "confusion" but he was unable to state when exactly this update would be completed.
3 March 2013
Road deaths continue to rise with 37 fatalities so far this year compared to 23 for same period in 2012.
25 Februay 2013
PARC members and supporters sign up for Flora Women’s Mini Marathon 3rd June 2013. (PARC's previous Flora Women's Mini Marathon
Earlier News items
