Data gaps in driving licence records hampering road safety efforts — O’Gorman
Kenneth Fox
Green Party leader Roderic O’Gorman has said that the “information gaps” in data around the category of driving licences involved in collisions need to be addressed.
Speaking on RTÉ radio’s Today show, O’Gorman said that at present the exact category of permit was not recorded and this was a big gap in information for the Road Safety Authority (RSA).
It was unclear if the RSA will be able to break down data in future collisions under the forthcoming government legislation regarding e-scooters, he warned.
O’Gorman acknowledged that insurance companies probably had such data, but that such details were not collected by the RSA, any decisions on road safety needed to be driven by data, he said.
The decision in relation to children and e-scooters had been, correctly, based on data, he said.
“There you have an example of policymaking being data-driven, appropriately so, in my view. And I am concerned that we have a data gap here in this area of unaccompanied drivers using work vehicles and the level of accidents that are taking place there.”
Having data helped to understand how significant a risk existed and how resources should be prioritised. “You can't solve a problem until you have measured it.”
O’Gorman pointed out that at present the gardaí cannot share collision data with local authorities. He said he hoped that the proposed National Vehicle and Driver File Bill, expected to come before the Dáil later this year, will allow that information to be exchanged.
Apart from allowing the sharing of accident black spot details, the Bill will also allow gardaí to pull a driver’s file on a device at a checkpoint for access to information.
O’Gorman added that another key issue was that the RSA was “not fit for purpose” as it was currently configured.
“The RSA does two jobs. It looks after the NCT, the theory test, driver's licences, all important work. But I think it shouldn't be doing that while at the same time focusing on what I think should be its core work, which is actually ending the carnage on our roads, making our roads safer.”
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