A European road safety body has called on Ireland and the UK to fall into line with their neighbours by reducing the legal blood-alcohol limit for drivers.
The European Transport Safety Council (ETSC) said the two states were now the only two in the European Union to still have a higher legal blood alcohol limit than other states.
Ireland, Britain and Northern Ireland share the 80mg/100ml limit while all other European countries, most recently Luxembourg, have moved to 50mg/100ml limit.
Noel Brett
The safety body's Executive Director Jörg Beckmann said in the Council's latest Drink Driving Monitor newsletter today: "The time has come for the UK and Ireland to join the rest of Europe in reducing its BAC limit to 0.5 and making the most of this by increasing police enforcement and checks and organising a big campaign to raise the public's understanding that drinking and driving is never a good mix."
The Road Safety Strategy 2007 to 2012, published in October, recommends lowering the drink-drive limit by June 2009, but does not suggest a limit. An expert group is due to make recommendation early next year.
Minister for Transport Noel Dempsey said at the launch of the strategy that he, personally, was in favour of a move from the current level of 80mg/100ml to 50mg/100ml.
Random alcohol breath testing was introduced in Ireland last year and was credited with a reduction in road deaths.
In an interview published in today's ETSC newsletter, Road Safety Authority (RSA) Chairman Noel Brett pointed there had been 92 fewer deaths in the 12 months since the introduction of random breath testing on July 21st, 2006, compared to the previous twelve month period.
"This represents a 22 per cent drop in road deaths. To date in 2007 there has been an 11 per cent drop in road deaths compared to 2006," he said.
"The debate as to whether Ireland will lower its drink drive limit is over," Mr Brett added. "The Irish Government has committed to lowering the limit before 2009. The question now is by how much should we lower our limit?
"Also in early 2008 the Government will consider legislation allowing the police to breathe test every driver following a collision. A lowering of the legal BAC limit for novice drivers is also being considered as part of a new Graduated Licensing System."
Fine Gael's spokesman on road safety Shane McEntee said the original plan to lower the blood alcohol limit had been dropped from the Road Safety Strategy by Mr Dempsey
"The Government decision to put the issue on the long finger and not legislate for any new blood alcohol limit until the middle of 2009 is disgraceful," he said.
