Road traffic laws to be overhauled

Transport Minister Paschal Donohoe will oversee a consolidation of primary and secondary legislation concerning road traffic safety, a government spokeswoman has told the Irish Times.

The news comes in the wake of reports that only 40 per cent of drink drivers face conviction and over 11,000 drivers have avoided conviction after being summoned to court for using their mobile phone while driving since January 2013.

The consolidated legislation would simplify road traffic rules introduced in the Road Traffic Acts 1961 to 2014 and close legal loopholes, potentially leading to higher conviction rates.

In the meantime, the department will focus on enacting the Road Traffic Bill 2015, which will introduce roadside testing for drug driving.

Evan O’Dwyer, a solicitor who specialises in road traffic offences, told the newspaper that any new legislation would still be robustly challenged in court.

He said: “There is so much at stake for drivers who risk losing their licences for two or three years that they will test all aspects of their case.”