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

  • Transport the key to economic growth
    July 12, 2012
    Delegates from around the world discussed the future of global transport at the 2009 International Transport Forum in Leipzig, Germany In the face of the global economic downturn, transport will play a key role in supporting economic growth and in the creation of new confidence in the world's economic future, the delegates of the 2009 International Transport Forum (ITF) agreed. As almost all global threats have strong, central links and impacts, the transport sector will remain at the forefront of most glob
  • Ireland road advisory contract award
    December 19, 2023
    An Irish road project advisory contract has been awarded.
  • Certified safe: ARTBA president talks future highways and safety
    January 16, 2020
    What keeps Dave Bauer* up at night? David Arminas caught up with the head of ARTBA at his Washington D.C. office during daylight hours
  • All change: get ready to rethink everything
    November 10, 2022
    How can we make our infrastructure ready for new sustainability challenges? What kind of investments are needed? And who will finance them? Tolling association Asecap has some thoughts. Geoff Hadwick reports from Lisbon