How big a problem is drink driving in Ireland?

Report No 7.

The Medical Bureau of Road Safety Annual Report (MBRS, 2006) reported that:

• 18,795 blood, urine and breath specimens were analysed for alcohol concentration, an increase of 33.8% on the total number of specimens analysed in 2005.
• 2,167 specimens certified which were twice or more over the legal limit, accounting for 44% of the total number of specimens certified.
• Only 532 of a total of 2,891 (18.4%) certified blood samples were under the legal alcohol limit. This compares to 15.2% in 2005 and an average of 8.6% between 2000 and 2004.
• Only 498 out of a total of 2015 (24.7%) certified urine samples were under the legal alcohol limit. This compares to 369 out of 2427 (19.7%) in 2005 and an average of 12.1% between 2000 and 2004.
• A total of 13,757 breath specimens were taken in Garda station, an increase of 39.9% on 2005. 76.76% of the certified specimens were over the limit. Only 1,320 tests did not result in a statement under section 17 of the Road Traffic Act

Report No 8.

A report (Anderson, 2008) states:

• A maximum blood alcohol concentration limit of 0.05 should be introduced throughout Europe; countries with existing lower levels should not increase them. Eventually, a lower limit of 0.02 should be introduced for all drivers.
• A lower limit of 0.00 should be introduced for young drivers and drivers of public service and heavy goods vehicles.
• Driver education, rehabilitation and treatment schemes, linked to penalties, based on agreed evidence-based guidelines and protocols should be implemented throughout Europe.

Report No 9.

A report (Anderson, et al, 2005) refers to the WHO Global Burden of Disease study which suggests that more than one in three road traffic fatalities in the EU are due to alcohol.

“How can it be acceptable that a driver in Ireland could be deemed safe to drive with four times the amount of alcohol in his system than a driver in other European countries? ”

Report No 10.

A paper (Fell, et al, 2009) stated the following:

• Fourteen independent studies in the United States indicate that lowering the BAC limit from 0.10 to 0.08 has resulted in 5–16% reductions in alcohol-related crashes, fatalities or injuries. Several studies indicate that lowering the limit from 0.08 to 0.05 BAC also reduces alcohol-related fatalities. The relative risk of being involved in a fatal crash as a driver is 4 to 10 times greater for drivers with BACs between 0.05 and 0.07 compared to drivers with 0.00 BACs.
• There is strong evidence in the literature that lowering the BAC limit from 0.08 to 0.05 is effective, and that lowering the BAC limit for youth to 0.02 or lower is effective.

Report No 11.

The World Health Organization Global Status Report on Road Safety (WHO, 2009) stated:

• The risk of involvement in a crash increases significantly above a blood alcohol concentration (BAC) of 0.04. Laws which establish lower BACs (between zero and 0.02) for novice drivers can lead to reductions of between 4% and 24% in the number of crashes involving young people.
• What can be done - Drink Driving laws should be based on blood alcohol concentration, or the equivalent breath alcohol content limits, which should be 0.05 or below. All countries should set limits of 0.02 or below for young/novice drivers.

In Europe, the European Commission has said:

“It is estimated that excessive blood alcohol concentration is involved in 1 out of 4 accidents and better drink-driving management could prevent up to 10,000 fatalities in the EU annually.”
EU, (2001)

Continue reading: Blood Alcohol Concentration (BAC)