Jack Chambers, Minister of State at the Department of Transport: I move: "That the Bill be now read a Second Time."

Today, I will bring the Road Traffic Bill 2024 before the House. This Bill is an urgent and essential part of the Government's response to the concerning trend of rising road fatalities and serious injuries. This is a short and focused Bill that aims to effectively address issues with driver behaviours through legislative change. Last year, we witnessed 188 deaths on our roads. This essentially places us on the same footing for road safety as we were on ten years ago. We have witnessed a dramatic negative shift in driver behaviour following the Covid-19 pandemic. Our current system is under strain and action must be taken to reverse this worrying trend. The main behaviours driving this trend are speeding, intoxicated driving, distracted driving and careless driving. As we debate this issue today, it is important that we do not forget the families impacted by these behaviours and the lives that have been lost. There is no acceptable level of death or serious injury on our roads. One life lost is one too many.

Sadly, the level of death and destruction that took place on our roads in 2023 is being repeated in 2024. Time is of the essence. Ireland has made great progress on road safety since the turn of the millennium. In 1999, there were 413 deaths on Irish roads. In 2018, there were 134. However, the trend has now turned in the wrong direction. Last year, there were 188. As of today, the figures for 2024 are 22 deaths, which is four down on this date last year.

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