Paul Murphy urges ban on large SUVs in urban areas
Paul Murphy welcomed recent reductions in local rural speed limits and the planned cut of urban limits from 50 to 20 kilometres per hour, arguing that lower speeds save lives. He called for a ban on large SUVs from urban areas, cited Department of Transport research and a recent child fatality, and said he will introduce a private member's bill.
The speaker cited Department of Transport research and international examples to argue that small reductions in speed save limbs and lives. He noted that when Bristol reduced limits to 30 kilometres per hour in 2019, fatal injuries fell by 63 per cent and that similar reductions in Wales - with 20 or 30 mile per hour limits - corresponded with 100 fewer people killed or seriously injured in the last year.
Murphy highlighted the trend toward larger SUVs and pickup trucks as a major factor in rising road casualties, citing the recent death of eight-year-old Andre Castro Ladero, struck at a zebra crossing by a Ford Ranger Wild Track. He read victim-impact comments from Andre's parents and cited the judge's remark that drivers of these vehicles in urban areas have an increased burden of care. He also repeated statistics from the speech that children are eight times more likely to be killed when hit by an SUV or passenger truck than by a car, that every 300 kilo increase in vehicle weight raises the risk of fatal injury for vulnerable road users by 30%, and that higher bonnet height and larger blind spots make SUVs more likely to hit people.
The speaker recounted introducing a bill last year to ban advertising of fossil fuels and fossil-fuelled vehicles as a way to reduce demand for SUVs, while warning that electrified SUVs remain equally dangerous to vulnerable road users. He said he will introduce a private member's bill to ban large SUVs from urban areas and argued that such vehicles should be restricted to HGV-licensed drivers or specific recognised needs.
Murphy raised the need for appropriate funding for schools seeking a school traffic warden, describing it as a terrible situation when schools and parents must campaign for basic protections. He gave the local example of Riverview Educate Together National School, quoting a parent who praised cycle lanes but described a dangerous junction at Mount Down Park onto Limekill Road and called for a school warden; he said South Dublin County Council will review the decision.
Evidence on speed and safety
The speaker cited Department of Transport research and international examples to argue that small reductions in speed save limbs and lives. He noted that when Bristol reduced limits to 30 kilometres per hour in 2019, fatal injuries fell by 63 per cent and that similar reductions in Wales - with 20 or 30 mile per hour limits - corresponded with 100 fewer people killed or seriously injured in the last year.
Impact of SUVs and pickup trucks on casualties
Murphy highlighted the trend toward larger SUVs and pickup trucks as a major factor in rising road casualties, citing the recent death of eight-year-old Andre Castro Ladero, struck at a zebra crossing by a Ford Ranger Wild Track. He read victim-impact comments from Andre's parents and cited the judge's remark that drivers of these vehicles in urban areas have an increased burden of care. He also repeated statistics from the speech that children are eight times more likely to be killed when hit by an SUV or passenger truck than by a car, that every 300 kilo increase in vehicle weight raises the risk of fatal injury for vulnerable road users by 30%, and that higher bonnet height and larger blind spots make SUVs more likely to hit people.
Policy proposals on advertising and urban bans
The speaker recounted introducing a bill last year to ban advertising of fossil fuels and fossil-fuelled vehicles as a way to reduce demand for SUVs, while warning that electrified SUVs remain equally dangerous to vulnerable road users. He said he will introduce a private member's bill to ban large SUVs from urban areas and argued that such vehicles should be restricted to HGV-licensed drivers or specific recognised needs.
School safety and funding for traffic wardens
Murphy raised the need for appropriate funding for schools seeking a school traffic warden, describing it as a terrible situation when schools and parents must campaign for basic protections. He gave the local example of Riverview Educate Together National School, quoting a parent who praised cycle lanes but described a dangerous junction at Mount Down Park onto Limekill Road and called for a school warden; he said South Dublin County Council will review the decision.
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Transcript
Thanks a lot. I want to start by welcoming the recent reduction in speed limits on local rural roads. I also welcome the forthcoming reduction in speed limits on urban roads from 50 to 20 kilometres per hour. The truth is and the facts are absolutely undeniable that speed kills and reducing speed even by a small amount saves limbs and lives. Research published by the Department of Transport shows that there is an extremely strong and fundamental relationship between speed and injuries. When speed limits were reduced to 30 kilometres per hour in Bristol in 2019, fatal injuries fell by 63 per cent. Minor and serious injuries also fell. The same has been happening in Wales, where speed limits were reduced by 20 or 30 miles per hour. 100 fewer people were killed or seriously injured over the last year as a result. Lower speed limits are a no-brainer when it comes to road safety. Anybody who tells you otherwise, who lobbies otherwise, who argues otherwise is suffering from a serious case of car brain. Another major factor in the increase in casualties in our roads is the trend towards outsized SUVs and pickup trucks. Just this week we heard of an awful death, the killing of eight-year-old Andre Castro Ladero by a man driving a Ford Ranger Wild Track SUV pickup truck. Andre was crossing the road after waiting for the green man at a zebra crossing. In his victim impact statement, Andre's father Cesar said, the bang and him disappearing. I saw it then and every day since. No breaking lights on that Ford Ranger Wild Track. Andre was just a leaf in the road for that driver. Andre's mother said, there are countless days when I feel lost and I just want to feel close to him. Living this terrible trauma also is Andre's brother who witnessed everything at only five years old. The impact on his life is unspeakable. In sentencing Andre's killer, the judge said that people who drive these vehicles in urban areas where there are a lot of houses have an increased burden of care. It is not the same as driving a car. It certainly isn't. We know that children are eight times more likely to be killed when hit by an SUV or a passenger truck than by a car. Yet the car industry keeps selling them, keeps advertising them, keeps pushing them. Every 300 kilo increase in vehicle weight increases the risk of fatal injury for vulnerable road users by 30%. The risk of fatal injuries also increases with bonnet height. SUVs and pickup trucks are also far more likely to hit people, particularly children in the first place, because they have a much larger blind spot. Despite this, the car industry continues to promote these lethal weapons because they are more profitable to produce than regular cars. The result is more than half of all new cars sold are now SUVs and they have become the second biggest driver of climate change globally over the past decade. It is time to call a halt. Last year I introduced a bill to ban the advertising of fossil fuels and fossil fuelled vehicles. That would go a long way towards reducing the demand for SUVs. But the evidence in terms of road safety shows that electrified SUVs are just as dangerous as fossil fuelled ones. We need to go further. We need a ban on large SUVs from urban areas. Nobody should be driving around in a glorified truck unless they are a truck driver with a HGV licence or there is a particular recognised societal need for it. I will be introducing a private member's bill to do that shortly. Finally, I want to also raise the issue of the need for appropriate funding for schools who seek a school traffic warden to be granted it. It is a terrible situation. We have schools who have to campaign and parents who have to campaign for school wardens. I will give you an example of my constituency of Riverview Educate Together National School, a quote from a mother who speaks about her daughter being a junior infant, a keen cyclist and I am grateful for the cycle lanes from Perrystown Community Centre to Limekill and Nane which make me feel safer. But the junction from Mount Down Park onto Limekill Road is extremely dangerous and I insist that my five-year-old avoids it. A school warden would help us feel a lot safer at this busy junction. South Dublin County Council will review and revisit this decision. All right. If you are first, that is going to be a place to go to the forward.