The Board of the RSA, which have been working as an interim Board since May of this year is now formally appointed. In addition, the National Safety Council will be subsumed into the new RSA.

Minister Cullen said that the formal establishment of the Road Safety Authority marks another significant milestone in the Government's Road Safety Strategy. The RSA has already commenced work, at the request of the Minister, on a number of key areas including:-

• Regulation of Driving Instruction,
• Reviewing the commercial vehicle roadworthiness testing system,
• Developing road safety promotion materials in partnership with the Department for Education and Science.
• Reviewing and publishing a new 'Rules of the Road',
• Developing a new road safety strategy for 2007 onwards.

The RSA will now take responsibility for the provision of a range of services including driver testing, driver licensing, issue of digital tachographs, enforcement of road haulage regulations including drivers hours, road safety promotion and research, oversight of the NCT service and commercial vehicle roadworthiness testing, random roadside vehicle checking and driver vocational training.

Minister Cullen said: "The establishment of the Road Safety Authority is one of a range of road safety measures now in place to make driving on our roads safer and reduce road fatalities and injuries to the lowest levels possible. I am confident that, with the calibre of its Chairman, Gay Byrne, its Chief Executive, Noel Brett and the entire Board, the RSA staff will steer us into a world-class road safety regime. I wish the entire RSA team every success in their work."