Worrying drink driving figures up 18% on same period last year

Worrying drink driving figures up 18% on same period last year

There has been an increase of 18% in the number of arrests for driving under the influence (DUI), compared with the same period in 2016.

Figures also show that April 2017 saw more arrests for drink driving than in any single month in the past five years. 

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The latest figures were revealed at the Road Safety Authority (RSA) annual international road safety conference.

Speaking ahead of the conference today Minister for Transport Tourism and Sport, Shane Ross said: “Drink-driving in this country remains a significant problem. That is why I brought the Road Traffic (Fixed Penalty-Drink Driving) Bill 2017 before the Oireachtas, which proposes that anyone detected driving over the legal limit will receive a mandatory disqualification from driving.

“This is essential legislation, designed to save lives. This Bill is based on scientific research, addressing drink driving at lower limits.

“I look forward to hearing the insights of the international speakers on how they have sought to tackle the scourge of drink driving in their jurisdictions, in particular the penalties they have in place, which I understand in Sweden and Queensland are far stricter than anything we have in place or are proposing under my new Bill.”

Provisional research from the RSA to be unveiled at the conference will show that alcohol was present in 30% of road traffic collision fatalities in 2013 and 2014.

The National Drug-related Deaths Index coroner’s data was collected by the Health Research Board for this period. The data also shows that 55% of all fatalities with a positive toxicology for alcohol were male driver/motorcyclist deaths.

A total of 63 people have died on the roads to date in 2016, which is a reduction of 13 up to the same period last year.

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