Third of road deaths from 2003-05 are drink-related

More than a third of deaths on Irish roads from 2003 to 2005 were drink-related, a shocking study revealed today.

But leading public health expert Dr Declan Bedford warned the number could be significantly higher as a third of people involved in crashes were not tested for alcohol or drugs.

The Health Service Executive specialist said there had been a slight reduction in drink-related deaths but said the alcohol limit should be lowered.

“One drink is too much,” he told a major international road safety conference at Croke Park.

“We need targeted action which is to reduce the alcohol limit to save lives and reduce injury.

“Even at the lowest level, alcohol impairs driving.”

He called for the legal blood alcohol limit to be reduced from 80mg to 50mg in order to cut road deaths.

Dr Bedford’s three-year research revealed that, out of 335 people killed on the roads in 2003, 124 had been drinking. The following year out of 374 deaths, 110 had alcohol in their system while in 2005 396 people were killed and 118 had taken a drink.

But he also warned alcohol tests were not carried out on 35% of drivers killed between 2003 and 2005.

“Its still a serious problem with alcohol killing at least 120 a year,” he claimed.

The shocking survey showed young men aged between 20 and 34 made up 90% of road deaths, while almost a quarter of men aged 18 to 29 admitted driving after two or more drinks.

Two out of three of the deaths occurred from Friday night to Monday morning which was a reflection of the Irish binge-drinking culture, Dr Bedford said.

“It’s no surprise alcohol consumption has increased steadily since the 1960s,” he continued.

“This is compounded by the way we drink – over a third of people have five or more drinks in one go.”

Dr Bedford presented his report, drink-driving in Ireland, which examines the role of alcohol in fatal crashes, at the International Conference on Road Safety in Croke Park as part of Irish Road Safety Week.

Meanwhile, a leading emergency medicine consultant claimed drink-driving crashes cost a hospital around €50m euro a year.

Dr Gerry Lane, from Letterkenny General Hospital, Co Donegal, said medical and financial resources were under massive strain from alcohol-related collisions.

The consultant, a member of the Irish Association for Emergency Medicine, backed calls for the alcohol limit to be reduced adding it would prevent many road accidents.

“Emergency medical and rescue services are frustrated and incensed that while things are getting better, there are still huge numbers of people being preventably injured and preventably killed,” he said.

“It cost us around €50m in 2006.”

“We are pushing for the introduction of a maximum blood alcohol limit of 50mg because it works.”

Dr Lane said drink-driving, speed, non-wearing of seat belts and aggressive driving were to blame for the county’s high number of road fatalities.

“We’re a microcosm of the country,” he continued.

“We’re third in the ’death leagues’ at the moment, especially in Inishowen.”