Road Safety Authority accused of ‘conflict of interest’ amid spiralling road deaths as it appears before Public Accounts Committee

The Road Safety Authority (RSA) has been accused of a “conflict of interest” by generating income from having cars and drivers on the roads when its remit is to help make roads safer.

The claim was made as representatives from the RSA, along with Department of Transport ­officials, were called before the Public Accounts Committee (PAC) for questioning on finances and road safety yesterday.

Amid questions over a rising death toll on Irish roads, Fine Gael TD Ciarán Cannon put it to the RSA that part of its current remit, including driving tests and NCTs, is at odds with its road safety remit.

Almost all of the RSA’s €100m income in 2022 came from fees for its services.

More than €93m of that came from driving licence and driver testing fees, NCTs and commercial vehicle testing.

“Do you not see a huge conflict of interest here?” Mr Cannon asked.

“Is it not the case that the more drivers we have on our roads, the more cars we have on our roads, the more income that accrues to the very authority that is responsible for maintaining safety on our roads?”

RSA chief executive Sam Waide said the behaviour of drivers on the roads is behind the increasing danger, but the number of vehicles on the roads is “outside of [his] control”.

He denied a conflict of interest, saying the services (NCT and driver testing) ensure safety amid an “unprecedented deterioration of behaviours on our roads”.

Mr Cannon said the “raison d’etre” of the RSA should be questioned and that these other responsibilities be divested from the body so it can focus on road safety.

The Fine Gael TD claimed the RSA was “never going to be able to get to the heart of what needs to happen in terms of road safety in this country”, and called for a different entity “whose sole focus is making Irish roads safer”.

The structure and funding of the RSA is currently under review, with preliminary findings due to be brought to the Cabinet before the summer recess.

Since its establishment in 2006, Mr Waide said there has been a significant reduction in road deaths, from 365 in 2006 to 134 in 2021.

However, road deaths have been steadily increasing since then, with 157 killed last year.

Ninety-two people have lost their lives on Irish roads so far this year, an increase of 10 when compared to the same period last year. The most recent fatalities were two teenage boys in ­Waterford early yesterday morning.

Meanwhile, the RSA said it was examining mechanisms to ensure learner drivers who don’t show up for tests but then renew their learner permit, can be identified and “repeat offenders” can be targeted.

Mr Waide also confirmed that following talks with the Data Protection Commission, new laws would be progressed to ensure collision data could be shared with local authorities so that action could be taken on the ground.

The data, which was vital for road safety ­design and improvements, had been consistently shared until 2020 when GDPR concerns were raised.

Department officials could not provide a clear timeline for the new legislation but the PAC heard it will happen “in due course”.

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