26 August 2002: The National Youth Council of Ireland has called for a new executive agency with the power and resources to radically overhaul road safety policy. Such an agency, it says, should be able to ‘hold to account’ the Government, the National Roads Authority and local authorities for their action or inaction on road safety.

NYCI spokesman Colm Ó Mongáin also says that all serious road accidents should have the same kind of full scientific investigation as have rail, air and marine accidents.

The organisation also wants a ‘massive increase’ in the amount of money allocated to road safety policy and actions. “While the Government takes in about E3bn in vehicle, fuel and road taxes, it allocates a mere E1.5mn to agencies such as the National Safety Council,” Colm Ó Mongáin said today.

Other moves demanded include a reduction in the blood alcohol limit from 80mg to 50mg in line with the European norm, and a ‘more scientific’ approach to control speeding, such as the use of ‘remote satellite speed control systems’.

"The new Minister has a great opportunity to make a difference in the area of road safety,” says James Doorley, NYCI President in a comment of reports this moring that the road safety strategy has so far failed. “The NYCI has already written to him calling for a fresh strategy to be developed involving full public consultation. If the findings of this report do not provide enough evidence that we have failed to improve road safety, then the continuing carnage on our roads does so conclusively.”