I support the amendment. Northern Ireland lost 125 people on its roads last year, each representing a tragic loss to families, friends and communities across the Province. Each death is one too many. Northern Ireland’s aim in 2007 is to continue to work together with, and take advice from, its counterparts in other areas of the United Kingdom in order to find additional ways to reduce the number of tragedies on its roads.

The annual cost of road accidents and consequent injuries to the Northern Ireland economy is £400 million — a huge cost to the taxpayer that must be reduced. The Northern Ireland road safety strategy, launched in 2002, has already had a significant impact in reducing the number of deaths and injuries on the roads. Any plans than can improve the awareness and concentration levels of road users are welcome in the effort to promote safety.

Government Departments and the Police Service of Northern Ireland are working well together to promote an integrated approach to road safety. With support from the community, they continue to endeavour to reduce the number of deaths on the roads. That is yet another area where any normal, democratically elected person or party should have no hesitation in supporting the Police Service of Northern Ireland in their efforts to promote road safety.

As a region of the UK, we are part of the national challenge to reduce the number of people killed or seriously injured in road accidents. An enhanced education programme is a necessary part of any strategy to reduce the number of road accidents. The Driving Standards Agency has designed and implemented an additional voluntary training service for new drivers, Pass Plus, with the help of insurers and the driving instruction industry, to give new drivers advanced training in safe driving. That programme covers potential dangers such as driving in town, in all weathers, at night, on rural roads, dual carriageways and motorways. No such scheme has been implemented by the Driver and Vehicle Testing Agency in Northern Ireland. A devolved Assembly or, in its absence, direct-rule Ministers, should consider such a scheme. We must grasp the nettle and show young people that we politicians feel very strongly about this matter and are going to do something about it.

Great Britain is introducing a new rigorous driving test framework, and moving towards a more demanding driving test. It is important to ensure that Northern Ireland is part of that debate and keeps pace with what is happening in the rest of the United Kingdom. Education is the basis of any advanced driving programme, and that must include children at primary school. The driving test should be based on education provided at that early age. As Sam Gardiner said earlier, young people are the eyes and ears of the future, and they will alert drivers and parents if they feel that their lives are in danger. It becomes natural for them to think of safety in their lives, the more so when they become drivers.

I agree with Edwin Poots, who said that in some cases the speed limit is too high, and in other cases too low. That must be amended. Only through the successful operation of the Assembly and its Committees will we be able to change that. All of this hot air is useless until Sinn Féin becomes a democratic party and we can move forward without our hands being tied.