The move was described as “reckless,” “deeply disturbing,” and “trading comfort for flexibility.”
Just 29 days after the government launched its new ‘Vision Zero’ road safety strategy, Hildegard Naughton, Secretary of State for Road Safety, has defended the temporary easing of EU working hours rules for lorry drivers as a ‘balance between driver and operator wellbeing’ Flexibility and road safety and reduce disruption to supply chains.”
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Professor Andrew Cogan, professor of sleep research at Maynooth University, said: “This is a reckless move because sleep deprivation significantly impairs driving performance, even in the pandemic.”
He highlighted research showing that sleep deprivation is worse than drink driving on driver impairment.
Professor Kogan asked: “If you make an exception to EU driver protection measures, do you conclude that they are not preventive or evidence-based and can therefore simply not be adhered to without increasing the risk to transport companies and other road users?”
According to the Road Safety Authority (RSA) booklet called Driver Fatigue: The Facts: “Research suggests driver fatigue could be a contributing factor in 1 in 5 driver deaths in Ireland.” The RSA added: “Fatigue-related crashes are three times more likely to result in death or serious injury due to high collision speed and failure to take avoidance measures.”
But the Secretary of State, the RSA and the Gardai have been involved in publishing clearly contradictory statements by claiming that road safety should not be compromised while they participate in or endorse the easing of road safety measures.
The exemption will apply retrospectively from 9 to 30 January 2022 and “will be reviewed each week as to application and scope,” an RSA press release said.
The relaxation of the rules applies to truck drivers involved in the transport of goods. It includes raising the semi-monthly driving limit from 90 hours to 112 hours, and increasing the maximum limit for “reduced daily rest periods,” which is a flexibility allowance between weekly rest periods from 3 to 5, and weekly rest periods are also increased. Being relaxed.
Minister of State, Hildegard Naughton (Fine Gael), said: “We have granted a temporary relaxation of the EU drive time and rest time rules due to the impact of the COVID-19 Omicron variant on HGV operations. Importantly, these relaxation measures maintain a balance between driver wellbeing Operator flexibility, road safety and reduced supply chain disruption.
“These arrangements will be kept under constant review. These steps are being taken to ensure that key supply chains for food and essential goods remain open. But I want to stress that driver safety and the safety of other road users should not be compromised at any stage,” she said.
She added: “I would like to thank everyone in our transportation and logistics sector for their continued hard work during this difficult period. Their resilience and commitment ensure that our shelves stay stocked and our food and commodity supply chains keep moving.
Politicians and campaign groups also criticized the move. Irish Road Victims, a national charity for road victims, said the move was “deeply worrying”.
The group said: “The rules and EU directives are in place for the safety of all road users. Heavy truck drivers are already involved in a very large number of fatal and very serious injury accidents. Fatigue kills and many lives have already been destroyed in preventable accidents.
Dublin TD Louise O’Reilly (Sinn Féin) said: “I would very much like to see the science behind replacing comfort with flexibility.”
Fingal Karen Power (Green Party) said: “Such a dangerous decision. Surely we can get by without having our first, second or third product on the shelf for people’s lives?
The Dublin Cycling Campaign said: “This concerns us deeply. Tired drivers are dangerous drivers, and as advocates for vulnerable road users, this increased risk is unacceptable.
The RSA fatigue booklet begins with a first-hand account from one driver: “It was early in the evening and I had been on the road for a few hours. I was due to have a break… My eyes started to close and I had to fight to keep them open. So, I rolled down the window and turned on the “The radio to wake myself up a bit. The next thing I knew I was in hospital. I fell asleep while driving and ended up in a field. Fortunately no one was seriously injured, but it could have been much worse.”
But although EU rules are in place to address the issue of fatigue, an RSA and Department for Transport statement this week claimed: “Although the current situation may affect driving time, the safety of the driver or that of other road users must not be compromised. Drivers must comply with the rules if doing so jeopardizes road safety, and should not be expected to drive while tired. Employers remain responsible for the health and safety of their employees and other road users.
The Garda Traffic Twitter account also claimed that “safety is paramount at all times” before outlining details of the temporary exception.
