‘It’s better to kill rural fabric than a person’

BARRY COURTNEY was just 19 when he was knocked down outside his home in Virginia, Co Cavan.

An only child, his accident happened on St Stephen’s Day 1999.

Unconscious for 10 days, he spent a year in hospital, and has spent the past 10 years recovering from the accident which caused his brain injury.

He has had to relearn to walk, talk, read, eat, wash, to use the toilet. His life has never been the same.

Now 28, he calls himself a “survivor”, and lives in supported accommodation run by Acquired Brain Injury Ireland along with other people seriously injured by road traffic accidents.

He has not been able to work in 10 years, he cannot drive and finds it very difficult to form relationships.

It is difficult, then, to imagine what it must be like for Mr Courtney, and others who are the ‘survivors’ of road traffic accidents, to listen to some of our politicians arguing against the introduction of tougher drink driving laws.

He is angry, and believes people like this should visit the National Rehabilitation Hospital and see first hand how survivors are attempting to rebuild their ruined lives in the aftermath of being nearly killed.

“We always hear about the people who have died because of drink driving, but what about the living dead?

“People should think before they get into their car what can happen as a result,” he says.

“I am lucky, because I am progressing as much as I can, but I have lived in high support with others not as lucky as me.”

Although Mr Courtney is currently studying a post-grad in communications at Maynooth college, and occasionally helps a friend who builds pipe organs in churches, he still finds even the littlest things difficult.

“People do not understand brain injury, you can be tired, paranoid, slow — it is a constant strain. I still find walking incredibly difficult, painful and tiring.”

He says it disgusts him when he hears politicians like Mattie McGrath — who this week suggested drink could act as a relaxant for nervous drivers — and he doesn’t buy the argument that the fabric of rural Ireland will die as a result of tough new laws.

“Can they not organise a taxi? Have a designated driver? I am all for keeping rural Ireland alive, but it’s better to kill rural fabric than to kill a person.”

Mr Courtney maintains that drink reduces drivers’ attention, co-ordination and reaction time, causing devastating effects on other road users.

“Drivers can’t control certain things like eyesight or limb control,” he says.

“But they can control whether they drink or not — they can stay sober.”

Q&A

Q. What changes will be introduced with the new drink driving limits?

A. The reduced blood-alcohol level for drivers is being dropped from 80mg of alcohol per 100ml of blood to 20mg for learner, recently qualified drivers and working motorists.

For fully qualified or experienced drivers the level of permitted alcohol is being dropped from 80mg to 50mg per 100ml of blood.

Q. What punishments will drivers face when the new laws are introduced next summer?

A. If an experienced driver is caught with an alcohol level between 50mg and 80mg per 100ml, they face a minimum of three penalty points and a €200 fine if they do not contest the charge.

If the novice or working driver is caught with alcohol in their system between the old and new levels, they face an automatic three-month ban on driving and a €200 fine.

Those with levels of alcohol between 80mg and 100mg will be disqualified for six months and receive a €400 fine if they do not challenge.

If drivers go to court and are convicted, those with less than 80mg of alcohol will be disqualified for six months for a first offence and for one year on a subsequent offence.

Drink drivers still overall face a maximum fine of €5,000 and/or six months in jail.

Q. What extra powers will be introduced for road safety under Minister Dempsey’s Drink Driving Bill?

A. The motor bureau of road safety will begin readjusting drink driving testing equipment once the legislation is passed next year.

Breath testing by gardaí will also become mandatory at the scenes of crashes.

The loophole which saw foreign-licensed drivers escape penalty points will be closed off.

Under the bill, penalty points and a disqualification can be applied to foreign national driving licences.

To aid gardaí checking for drivers under the influence of drugs, they will carry out Preliminary Impairment Tests (coordination tests) to determine if a driver is under the influence of a substance.

Gardaí will also be given powers to seize a licence where the driver has been disqualified or where the licence has been fraudulently obtained or is forged or altered.

Q. Will a driver be able to have one drink under the new rules?

A. Generally speaking, no. However, the level of alcohol in a system depends on several factors. The level of alcohol will vary per person depending on what the driver drinks, what weight they are, whether they eat or not, the time elapsed since drinking and whether they are tired.