Drink Driving - Fast Facts

These facts are from the ETSC (European Transport Safety Council) Conference/Lecture held in Dublin Castle on 12th October 2009, in a speech delivered by Professor Denis Cusack, FRCPI, FCLM, FCI, Arb, Barrister-at-Law. Professor of Legal Medicine and Head of Forensic and Legal Medicine at UCD and Director of the MBRS (Medical Bureau of Road Safety).

1. Drink driving is a male problem.
2. Alcohol is estimated to be a contributory factor in 1 in 3 fatal collisions.
3. In 1 in 4 fatal crashed, the driver had consumed alcohol.
4. Any alcohol impairs driving and increases the risk of collision.
5. At half the current limit, drivers are twice as likely to be involved in a collision. At the current limit (0.08g/dL) drivers are six times more likely to have a collision.
6. Alcohol is twice as potent when you are a tired driver.
7. Almost 1 in 4 drivers killed on our roads, where alcohol was present, were under the legal limit when they died.
8. 92 lives were saved in the first 12 months following the introduction of Mandatory Alcohol Testing (MAT) on 21st July 2006.
9. About three out of every four drivers – an increasing majority – are in favour of the introduction of lower drink driving limit and two thirds now support a zero limit for all drivers.
10. 87% of the public say that drinking and driving is extremely shameful. In fact they say it is more shameful than speeding, shoplifting, adultery and tax evasion.
11. The UK (0.08) and Malta (0.09) are the only EU countries with the same or higher drink drive level compared to Ireland.
12. All of the available evidence from research indicates that reducing the legal limit of BAC from the current limit of 0.08 to 0.05 will reduce the risk of being involved in a road traffic collision, and consequently will save lives and prevent serious injuries.
13. Ireland is among the highest alcohol consuming countries in the EU according to research published on November 1st 2007 by the Health Research Board.
14. Any amount of alcohol impairs driving and increases risk – so the only safe advice is to NEVER EVER drink and drive.