1. What changes can motorists expect from the new road safety Bill going to Cabinet on Tuesday?
Under the plans, motorists who commit traffic offences such as speeding or not wearing a seat belt on bank holiday weekends will face higher penalty points. Under the new Road Traffic Measures Bill 2023, powers would be granted to vary the number of penalty points during specific times when road safety risks are higher. Minister of State Jack Chambers believes that increasing points for specified periods is likely to have a positive impact on driver behaviour, as road safety data shows bank holiday weekends have a higher level of road deaths and serious injuries linked to driving offences. There were 46 fatal or serious injury collisions over the February, June and the August bank holiday weekends this year. There were almost 10,000 speeding detections over the same weekends.
2. Have any other countries decided to change the rules on bank holidays?
The move to increase penalty points for specific periods like bank holiday weekends has been successfully introduced in other jurisdictions including Australia. In Western Australia, a system of “double demerits” applies on holiday periods and long weekends.
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3. What other plans are included in the legislation?
Other measures include a change to intoxicant testing rules whereby gardaí would be mandatorily required to test for drugs at the scene of road collisions. Mr Chambers is also preparing legislation to reduce baseline speed limits on rural roads as well as national secondary roads and roads in built-up and residential areas. The proposed legislation also contains measures to end an existing anomaly within the penalty points system where motorists who are caught committing multiple offences at the same time only receive penalty points for the higher offence.
4. Whatever happened to the graduated penalty scheme?
In 2019, former minister for transport Shane Ross secured cabinet agreement for a system of escalating penalties which would depend on the extent to which a driver is over the speed limit. For example, drivers up to 10km/h over the limit would receive a €60 fixed charge and two penalty points. Drivers caught between 10km/h and up to 20km/h over the limit would receive an €80 fixed charge and three penalty points. If convicted in court the penalties would be higher. A change in government in 2020, however, saw the plan drop off the political agenda and there is no inclusion of the graduated points system in the Bill being brought to Cabinet on Tuesday.
