Random breath test loophole to be closed

A SMALL number of motorists are likely to escape conviction for refusing to give samples at random breath testing checkpoints, due to a typing error in the legislation.

The Irish Examiner has learnt that there are fewer than a dozen cases of motorists refusing to provide samples at random breath-testing checkpoints, when asked to do so under the Road Traffic Act 2006.

The Government will introduce an emergency amendment before the Dáil next week to correct what the Department of Transport has described as a “typographical error” in the act which affects such cases.