GDPR: Restrictive enforcement endangers road safety?

The revelation that Ireland’s road safety authority has not shared road traffic collision data with road engineers shows how an overly restrictive interpretation of GDPR rules not only goes beyond the reasonable requirements of protecting personal data, it negates them.  

Background: A recent investigation by Irish State TV’s (RTÉ) main investigative programme Prime Time revealed that the country’s Road Safety Authority (RSA) was refusing to release up-to-date geo-located data on road traffic collisions to local councils road engineers, citing GDPR concerns.

The big picture: Road safety groups argue that other EU countries, such as Sweden, share detailed road traffic collision data, including location, vehicle involvement, and driver specifics. The lack of access to up-to-date collision data in Ireland raises questions about the necessity and impact of overly restrictive GDPR interpretations.

What's next: The government has committed to resolving the collision data sharing issue through legislative changes. It remains to be seen what steps will be taken to address GDPR concerns and ensure a balance between privacy protection and public safety.

The bottom line: This highlights the issues of GDPR overreach and restrictive interpretation, though these concerns are not reflected in the MEP’s negotiating position (as discussed last week)

ADDITIONAL MATERIAL

Link to RTE Prime Time investigation