Reducing legal drink limit will save countless lives

IN his letter of August 18, Michael Job questions aspects of my findings relating to alcohol and road traffic crashes.

The evidence in the international literature states that no amount of alcohol improves your driving and levels above 20mg/100ml impair your driving and increase your risk of being involved in a fatal crash. In our research deaths were considered to be alcohol related if the blood alcohol level of the driver was 20mg/100ml or higher. Seven European countries have this or a lower level as their legal limit. Many countries have recognised the need to reduce the number of deaths from road crashes and have introduced legal limits of 50mg/100ml or lower. To suggest that our current legal limit of 80mg/100ml is “about right”€ ignores the scientific knowledge on alcohol and road crashes.

All EU countries been advised to reduce their legal limits to 50mg/100ml or lower in order to protect the health and safety of their citizens. This is a commonsense and evidence based approach and one that Ireland should adopt as soon as possible. Reducing the legal limit to 50mg/100ml will save lives and reduce injuries.