Skip to main content

FTA Ireland wants tougher roadside enforcement to match new traffic laws

FTA Ireland (FTAI) says it would like to see proposed new national traffic laws matched with an increased resource for roadside enforcement by the Gardai. The response from the FTAI follows the announcement of The Road Traffic No.2 Act 2013, (introduced to improve safety levels on Irish roads) outlined by minister for transport, tourism and sport Leo Varadkar. The new traffic laws will include roadside impairment tests for drug driving; higher penalty points for speeding, mobile phone use and not wearin
February 21, 2014 Read time: 2 mins
FTA Ireland (FTAI) says it would like to see proposed new national traffic laws matched with an increased resource for roadside enforcement by the Gardai.

The response from the FTAI follows the announcement of The Road Traffic No.2 Act 2013, (introduced to improve safety levels on Irish roads) outlined by minister for transport, tourism and sport Leo Varadkar.  The new traffic laws will include roadside impairment tests for drug driving; higher penalty points for speeding, mobile phone use and not wearing seatbelts; and allows unconscious drivers to be tested.

“This Act focuses predominantly on the human factors in road safety by strengthening and extending the law in key areas. This includes a new category of novice driving licenses, higher penalty points in key areas, and the testing of unconscious drivers for intoxication,” Varadkar said.

Neil McDonnell, general manager of FTA Ireland, said, “There is no doubt that these new traffic laws will improve road safety levels on Irish roads, but FTA Ireland would like to also see that the measures should be matched with an increased resource for roadside enforcement by Gardai.  We also believe that enforcement should go further, and, therefore, legislation must ensure severe penalties for drivers who fail to bring their driving licence to court, thereby avoiding the fixing of points to their licences.”

Related Content

  • Pan-European enforcement of driving laws due
    September 30, 2013
    Pan-European enforcement of driving regulations should catch offenders and help improve Europe’s road safety - Mike Woof reports. Agreements are being reached that will see Pan-European enforcement of driving regulations. Drivers will now face being penalised for any offences committed in other European countries. The change is due on 7th November 2013. After this date EU Member States will commence the cross border exchange of data relating to road traffic offences. For this scheme to work, eight offences
  • UK road safety plan announced
    July 18, 2019
    A new road safety plan for the UK has been announced. This includes a major package of measures to reduce the number of people killed and injured on roads. The action plan is designed to improve safety for people at every stage of life – from infants in car seats to those with years of driving experience. It includes increased penalties for failing to wear a seatbelt one of 74 measures being considered. Failure to wear a seatbelt could result in penalty points as well as fines, under new plans t
  • Pan-European enforcement of driving laws due
    August 27, 2013
    Agreements are being reached that will see Pan-European enforcement of driving regulations. Drivers will now face being penalised for any offences committed in other European countries. The change is due on 7th November 2013. After this date EU Member States will commence the cross border exchange of data relating to road traffic offences. For this scheme to work, eight offences have been listed in the data exchange programme. These are; speeding, not using a seatbelt, red light running, drink driving, driv
  • IAM and Brake comment on increased UK road crashes
    September 24, 2015
    Both the Institute of Advanced Motorists (IAM) and road safety charity Brake have expressed serious concern over official figures showing increased road deaths in the UK. The Department of Transport’s Reported Road Casualties Great Britain: 2014 Annual Report says there were 1,775 reported road deaths in 2014, an increase of 4% compared with 2013. The IAM has called for a raft of measures to reverse the disappointing increase in numbers of people killed and injured on UK roads. It added the number of people