Over 25% of drivers over limit the next morning

Gardaí stop motorists pictured this morning at a Garda checkpoint on Chapelizod Road, Dublin at the launch of an appeal by the Road Safety Authority (RSA) and An Garda Síochána for their St. Patrick’s Weekend Bank Holiday road safety appeal. Picture: Colin Keegan, Collins Dublin

More than a quarter of drivers admit that they may have been over the limit when driving the morning after a night out.

Research released by the Road Safety Authority shows that although 74% of motorists agree that one alcoholic drink can impair driving, one in four believe it is acceptable to drive short distances in their local area after one drink.

Around one in 10 motorists indicated they had consumed alcohol before driving within the past 12 months with 34% of these having had two or more drinks before driving.

The data comes following a worrying start to the year with 37 people killed on Irish roads so far in 2022 - an increase of 20 deaths on the same period last year.

From January 1, 2021 and February 28, 2022, Gardaí have made 10,206 drink and drug-driving arrests - 1,398 were made in the first two months of this year.

Of these arrests, 10% arrests were made between 7am and 12pm.

There is concern ahead of the first extended bank holiday weekend and the first public St Patrick's Day celebrations in three years.

Road users are being urged to take extra precautions while travelling during this week's festivities.

An Garda Síochána and the RSA have launched an appeal asking all road users to celebrate in a responsible way, not to drink and drive and to wait until it is safe before getting behind the wheel the morning after.

People are being reminded that the only way to get rid of alcohol from your body is time.

It takes roughly one hour for a unit of alcohol to leave the body – one unit of alcohol is a standard measure of spirit, wine, or a half glass of beer.

"What you can do is plan safe travel to enjoy your celebrations but also plan the following day if you’ve had a big night and are on the move the morning after," said Sam Waide, Chief Executive of the RSA.

If people have somewhere to be the next morning, they are encouraged to ask someone for a lift, call a taxi or use public transport.

Passengers also have a role to play as almost half of all motorists surveyed admitted to travelling in a car where they knew the driver had consumed alcohol.

If you suspect someone is unsafe to drive, you should not get into the car with them and encourage the person not to drive until it is safe to do so.

Gardaí will be doing checkpoints and have a visible presence on the roads day and night during the festive period.

Assistant Commissioner, Paula Hilman, Roads Policing, An Garda Síochána, said the priority is to keep people safe and prevent death or injury on the roads.

"I would appeal to those of you who are socialising and consuming alcohol to leave your car at home or designate a driver and remember you may still be over the limit the morning after," said Assistant Commissioner Hilman.

"We must change the current trends we are seeing in road fatalities in 2022. Too many families have already lost loved ones this year."

Between 2017 and 2021, there were nine fatalities on Irish roads over the St Patrick's period with 43 people seriously injured during the same period.

Drivers should keep in mind that fatigue magnifies the impairment effect of alcohol so if a person has gone to bed late and consumed alcohol, then they may not be fit to drive until lunchtime the following day.