Skip to main content

FTA Ireland wants tougher roadside enforcement to match new traffic laws

FTA Ireland has said it would like to see the proposed new traffic laws matched with an increased resource for roadside enforcement by the Gardai. The response from FTAI followed the announcement of the Road Traffic No.2 Act 2013, introduced to improve safety levels on Irish roads, outlined by Minister for Transport, Tourism & Sport Leo Varadkar earlier this week. The new traffic laws will include roadside impairment tests for drug driving; higher penalty points for speeding, mobile phone use and not we
February 21, 2014 Read time: 2 mins
FTA Ireland has said it would like to see the proposed new traffic laws matched with an increased resource for roadside enforcement by the Gardai.

The response from FTAI followed the announcement of the Road Traffic No.2 Act 2013, introduced to improve safety levels on Irish roads, outlined by Minister for Transport, Tourism & Sport Leo Varadkar earlier this week.  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,” Minister Varadkar said.

Neil McDonnell General Manager, FTA Ireland commented: “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

  • Advanced traffic management amid urbanisation
    July 30, 2020
    There is no room for error on the crowded roads in many cities: Andrew Watson of Huawei explains why AI is a perfect tool to help urban authorities and transportation agencies look after people in busy traffic
  • Top 5 trends in vision technology
    June 24, 2021
    Artificial intelligence and deep learning algorithms are among the major trends having an impact on road traffic enforcement, according to leading companies in the vision sector
  • Are truck bans the wrong move in the battle for air quality
    June 29, 2016
    Low emission zones and heavy goods vehicles’ access to city centres may at first glance appear attractive but how effective are such controls? Jon Masters reviews emerging trends across Europe. Around 1,700 European cities have implemented low emission zones (LEZs) and in addition some have restricted city centre access for heavy goods vehicles (HGVs). Even those that restrict HGV access, such as Paris and Rome, allow exemptions at certain times and for particular classes of vehicle. But with what effect?
  • Most EU motorists want legislation on vehicle data, says survey
    January 16, 2019
    The overwhelming majority of European road users want laws to protect their rights when it comes to the data their vehicle generates while driving. A new survey, by FIA Region I across 15 countries, found that 93% of motorists support the need for dedicated legislation to ensure their consumer rights and data protection. This is not to suggest that people have a problem with vehicle data per se – for example, 88% are happy to share remotely their location and vehicle status with roadside assistance provid