Garda checkpoints Ireland: Warning as one in 10 drivers admit to drink driving in last 12 months
Gardai warned that alcohol remains the most prevalent intoxicant detected in drivers
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One in 10 drivers have admitted that they have driven under the influence of alcohol in the last 12 months, new research has found.
One in four drivers admit they may have been over the drink-driving limit the morning after
2 Jun 2021
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New attitudinal research released today by the Road Safety Authority (RSA) has found that a quarter of drivers surveyed agreed that there were times when they may have been over the drink driving limit when driving the morning after a night out.
The Driver Attitudes & Behaviour Survey carried out in December 2020, also found that overall, 9% of motorists admit to consuming alcohol before driving in the past twelve months, with the figure higher amongst men (12%) than women (5%).
The figures are being published ahead of the June Bank Holiday Weekend as An Garda Síochána, the RSA and the Medical Bureau of Road Safety appeal to all road users not to drink and drive.
“The significant increase in the number of specimens being analysed by the MBRS certainly reflects the increased levels of detections being made for drug driving by An Garda Síochána,” said Hildegarde Naughton, Minister of State at the Department of Transport.
“While this is a worrying trend, I believe it is down to a greater focus by the Gardaí on this type of dangerous behaviour. This greater focus is very welcome. Drivers need to understand that since the introduction of roadside testing for drugs in 2017, the Gardaí have the tools to tackle this problem. There is simply no hiding drug driving anymore.”
The study reveals that, of the 600 road-user fatalities with a toxicology result available, 36.5pc had a positive toxicology for alcohol.
Speaking ahead of the Bank Holiday, Minister of State at the Department of Transport Hildegarde Naughton expressed concerns over the findings.
“We will all be celebrating St Patrick’s Day at home again this year. If you are drinking alcohol be aware that you may be unknowingly consuming larger measures than if you were being served in a bar or restaurant.
“This will increase the amount of time it will take to eliminate alcohol from your body, and you could still be over the limit and unsafe to drive the morning after. Drink-driving is drink-driving, no matter what time of the day or day of the week,” she said.
It seems the Road Safety Authority agrees, as it has announced a new free online child car seat checking service called Check it Fits .
The service will provide advice and support to parents, grandparents, guardians, and childminders to ensure that child car seats are fitted correctly.
The ‘Check it Fits’ service moved online in response to the Covid-19 pandemic but normally travels around the country providing free safety checks on child car seats.
But now the public book a virtual appointment with one of the RSA’s child car seat experts and have the car seat checked from home.
“We are delighted to get our ‘Check it Fits’ service back up and running, Sam Waide, Chief Executive, Road Safety Authority, said.