Alcohol a factor in over a third of road user fatalities

Gardaí will be mounting checkpoints nationwide over St Patrick's Day targeting drivers under the influence of drugs or alcohol.

Many things about this St Patrick's Day are different from the norm but one thing that remains the same is the need to be vigilant when it comes to drink driving.

Gardaí and the Road Safety Authority (RSA) are appealing to road users not to drink and drive as new research reveals that alcohol was a factor in over a third of road user fatalities.

With the pubs closed, people will be celebrating St Patrick's Day at home and many will do so with a few drinks. People are being reminded that they are likely to be consuming larger measures than they would be served in a bar or restaurant and this should be taken into account when making the decision to drive the following day.

The more alcohol consumed the longer it will take to for it to leave the body and although a person may feel they can drive the following morning, they will still be over the limit.

The Road Deaths and Alcohol 2013-2017 report showed that 14% of the road user fatalities where there was alcohol involved took place between 5am and 11am.

Gardaí will be mounting checkpoints nationwide over St Patrick's Day targeting drivers under the influence of drugs or alcohol.

Despite pubs and restaurants being closed since last December, Gardaí have arrested 1,112 drivers for driving while intoxicated in the first two months of 2021.

Assistant Commissioner, Paula Hilman, appealed to people to stay at home, comply with travel restrictions and public health guidelines and not to engage in dangerous behaviour on the roads.

Attitudes to drink driving have progressed over the last number of years but the research published by the RSA revealed that young men are significantly overepresented in road fatalities involving alcohol.

Over 90% of motorists killed while under the influence of alcohol were men and 82% were under 45 years old.

Minister of State for Transport Hildegarde Naughton said the findings of the report are very concerning and she was particularly struck by the high levels of alcohol being detected.

Of the drink drivers involved in a fatal collision, 70% were found to be over three times the limit.

The report looked at 135 driver fatalities with a positive toxicology for alcohol. As a result of these collisions, 146 people died and 72 were injured.

Over 70% of the 219 road user fatalities where drink driving was detected occurred on rural roads.

In 2020, a year which saw traffic volumes fall and pubs closed for much of the year, 8,159 drivers where arrested for drink driving.

Sam Waide, CEO of the RSA, asked people to think of the potential consequences of drink driving before making the decision to drive.

"My message to anyone who gets behind the wheel of a car after drinking alcohol is to realise that your decision could lead to very serious consequences.

"You could lose your licence, something that may be vital for your work, but far worse is the possibility of injuring or killing someone else on the road."