New road legislation should go much further
A significant law change here and in Northern Ireland last week should be uniformly welcomed.
However the law is generations overdue in coming into effect.
From now on driving bans will be recognised on both sides of the Border.
Laws changed here and in Northern Ireland to give effect to a road safety agreement signed between the UK and Irish governments.
It means drivers who have been banned for offences such as driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs, speeding, leaving the scene of an accident or dangerous/reckless driving – can face prosecution in either jurisdiction if they continue to drive.
The long-awaited change comes into effect following the signing of the Agreement on the Mutual Recognition of Driving Disqualifications on October 30, 2015.
The new legislation is welcome, but it falls short of what is really needed and that is a completely seamless Road Traffic Act which covers both sides of the border.
All experienced drivers will have witnessed speeding drivers on our roads and in this region, anecdotally at least without any concrete evidence to support this theory, it has been said that the far greater proportion of speeding drivers on Southern roads bear ‘yellow plates’, i.e are Northern registered vehicles.
There is likely a similar view in Northern Ireland towards Southern drivers and their driving behaviour once they cross the border.
Speeding drivers, whatever colour their number plate, are not immune from detection by Gardai or the PSNI, but drivers who break traffic laws should face penalties that affect their licence and insurance policies, regardless of where they com-
THE MEASURES SHOULD GO FURTHER TO PROTECT ALL ROAD USERS ON THE ISLAND
mit the offence.
Many of us, will have heard stories of Northern Ireland drivers banned, applying and securing a Republic of Ireland driving licence. It shouldn’t happen, but it has and does happen.
There is a lot of talk at present following Brexit about an invisible, frictionless border, yet our road traffic legislation is just one example where of where the two countries have failed to fully integrate despite both being members of the European Union for over forty years.
Transport Minister Shane Ross said the new provision will save lives and it is also timely as Ireland pushes for the maintenance of a common travel area during the Brexit negotiations, but the measures should go further to protect all road users on the island.