The following are the main points of the new Road Traffic Bill.
- The use of handheld mobile phones to be banned, with the exception of emergency vehicles such as ambulances and fire engines.
- The introduction of random breath testing, to be known as mandatory alcohol testing, allowing for the establishement of road blocks where all drivers can be stopped and tested.
- An "on the spot" disqualification and fine option for first time drink drive offenders/ Increased financial penalties of up to 4,000 for drink drive offences, and increased disqualification periods of up to six years.
- Disqualifications for dangerous driving to rise to up to six years.
- Regulations to allow for the privatisation of speed cameras.
- Closing of a loophole that prevented gardai from seizing uninsured foreign registered cars.
- Provisions for stiffer regulations for provisional license holders, to be introduced when the current backlog of tests is cleared