Gardaí get extra powers to combat drink-driving
Currently, the blood/alcohol levels of drivers can only be tested if gardaí think they are drunk. But under legislation to be introduced this autumn, gardaí will be allowed to automatically test all drivers involved in road traffic offences, from speeding to car accidents.
Around 800 handheld intoxilyzers, which are used to breathalyse drivers, have been ordered so gardaí will be able to carry out the extra testing. "There are around 700 garda stations, so if you take out some of the smaller, one-man stations, that leaves around two to three intoxilzyers for a big station, which would be sufficient," a garda spokesman said.
Transport Minister Seamus Brennan is also in discussions with Justice Minister Michael McDowell about introducing random breath testing for all motorists at a later date. However, there may be legal difficulties as such testing could be in breach of constitutional rights.
"This won't be full random breath testing but it will certainly strengthen the powers of the guards," a Department of Transport spokesman said.
The move comes ahead of a report which shows that despite extensive enforcement and advertising campaigns, the level of drink-driving has barely changed in two decades. The Medical Bureau of Road Safety's annual report will show that 90% 3,720 people of all drivers tested for drink-driving last year through blood and urine samples were over the limit.
Of around 9,000 people who were breath-tested last year, 7,770, or 86%, were over the legal limit. These figures are consistent with the 1996-2000 period and statistics for the 1970s and 1980s.
"Although attitudes towards drink-driving have changed it's much more socially unacceptable when you consider the number of people being tested over the limit, the behaviour hasn't changed at all," said Professor Denis Cusack, director of the Medical Bureau of Road Safety. Alcohol is estimated to be linked to at least 30% of all road accidents and 40% of all fatal crashes. Although there were 12,000 detections for drink-driving last year, the Department of Transport's group on road safety says the "deterrence effect" is very weak. Drink drivers in Ireland have a one in 300 chance of being caught compared to one in 65 in Britain, one in 20 in Holland and one in nine in Sweden.
"A greater number of roadside checks is being proposed by the high level group on road safety and a change in the requirement for breath-testing will be central to it," Prof Cusack said.
