PRESS RELEASE

DATE: 19 October 2009
SOURCE: Headway - The National Association for Acquired Brain Injury

Headway, the National Association for Acquired Brain Injury (ABI), has called on the Minister for Transport Mr. Noel Dempsey, T.D. to reduce the legal blood alcohol concentration limits from 80 miligrams to 50 miligrams for fully licenced drivers and 20 miligrams for learner and newly qualified drivers and suggest that the Minister go even further in their aims by banning alcohol completely for learner drivers.

Headway CEO Kieran Loughran this morning stated: “We support the recommendations from the Road Safety Authority on the reduction of blood alcohol concentration limits and are confident that it will go a long way towards eliminating alcohol-related road deaths and injuries.  The value of a full and healthy life is worth significantly more than the risk of trying to guess what constitutes 80 or 50 miligrams, and we are strongly urge the Minister to push for a zero tolerance limit for those driving less than two years on a full licence.

“It is about time that law-makers and drivers in this country realize just how devastating the effects of drunk driving can be.  It is not just the number of road deaths that we need to be concerned about, but also what happens to those who survive and are left with great difficulties.

“At Headway we see the face of tragedy; we see the families struggling to cope with the effects of a brain injury; we see the confusion and frustration of previously independent men and women who now need help with the most basic necessities; we see the sorrow on both sides when they realize that the person they knew is never coming back.

“Blood alcohol concentration limits that are open to individual interpretation just aren’t good enough anymore.  The focus needs to be on saving lives and accidents in this debate and not on the arguments of vested interests.”

[END]

Notes to the Editor/ Producer:

• Headway offers services and support to people affected by acquired brain injury (ABI).  In many cases people with brain injury have no obvious physical disability but the effects can be profound and unique to the individual. Brain injury can happen to anyone at any time in life and can be a result of an accident, or blow to the head, stroke, haemorrhage, infection or tumour.  The impact of brain injury is often life long, affecting both the person with the injury and their family members in a variety of ways.  Due to the many and varied effects of acquired brain injury, people often have difficulty living independently, working or returning to education, participating in social and leisure activities and maintaining family roles or personal relationships.
• Headway has been supporting those affected by acquired brain injury since 1985.  It provides a range of community based services in Limerick, Cork, Kerry and Dublin along with outreach services in the South-Eastern region. Services include rehabilitation training, day activity, psychological therapy and family support, counselling, outreach, family education workshops, supported employment, community access and a national helpline on 1890 200 278.

Information:

Kieran Loughran 01 8102066

Paula Larkin 021 4871303

larkinp@headway.ie

www.headway.ie