Dáil Question on road safety strategy 2013 – 2020

To ask the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport if he will provide details of when the next road safety strategy will be published; the measures he intends to include; and if he will make a statement on the matter.

Reply from Minister Leo Varadkar T.D.

The Road Safety Authority is in the process of finalising the next Road Safety Strategy, which will cover an 8 year period from 2013 to 2020.  The aim of the Strategy, like all previous, will be to save lives and prevent injuries by reducing the number and severity of collisions on our roads. 
 
The new Strategy will adopt a safe system approach by reinforcing the concept of shared responsibility across organisations, businesses and communities.  The Strategy will outline a number of Actions to be taken in furthering the cause of road safety and will assign responsibility for implementation of these Actions to the most appropriate State bodies.  The detail of the Actions will be finalised shortly.
 
In general, the new Strategy, while not deflecting attention from road fatalities, will concentrate to a greater extent on serious injuries caused by road collisions. 
 
I intend seeking the approval of Government for the new Strategy in the coming weeks with a view to launching it at a road safety conference to be held during Ireland’s Presidency of the EU at the end of March 2013.