Zero tolerance for drink drivers

WE in PARC road safety group welcome the proposals for a new graduated driving licensing system for learner drivers. We also welcome the proposal for zero tolerance of drink driving among learner drivers.

However, as research shows, there is no blood alcohol level at which impairment does not occur so we must surely have zero tolerance for all drivers regardless of age or experience.

“Never ever drink drive” must be the clear and unambiguous message enshrined in the forthcoming road traffic bill not just for learners but for all drivers.

Simplicity and clarity are important too for the gardaí who enforce the law. One rule for all means less room for confusion or mistakes at checkpoints.

There should be one breathalyser at the roadside and one intoxilyser in the garda station calibrated for an effective zero level of breath alcohol for all drivers.

Simplicity and clarity should also mean there would be less contesting of this aspect of the law in the courts and less expenditure on expensive testing equipment at a time when resources are scarce.

If a driver is not in possession of a driving licence at a checkpoint, which breathalyser would be used in that instance — one calibrated for 20mg or for 50mg?

An alternative suggestion to a night-time curfew for learner drivers would be the proper enforcement of the law that Transport Minister Noel Dempsey introduced on June 30, 2008 with particular emphasis on night-time driving and most especially at weekends (all drivers holding a learner permit must be accompanied by a driver who has held a full licence for a minimum of two years).

This would have the benefit of allowing the learner driver to get night-time driving experience in a safe manner while at the same time getting over the lack of transport in rural areas. PARC believes we have enough legislation in this area but not enough enforcement.

We await a reply from the Medical Bureau of Road Safety on the implications that a two-tier system may pose on the provision of updated and recalibrated breath-testing equipment for gardaí.

Furthermore current station-based breath-testing devices (intoxilysers) are coming to the end of their lifespan and will have to be replaced this year.

We ask that the present situation does not remain whereby the reading on the intoxilyser machine is 17.5% less than the actual blood alcohol level of the tested driver.

As it stands we have the highest permitted blood alcohol limit by far in any European country as this reduction from the real blood alcohol is not applied in other jurisdictions. The new legislation on blood alcohol levels must be so watertight that this 17.5% is not necessary.

Susan Gray

Chairperson

PARC (Public Against

Road Carnage)

Inishowen

Co Donegal