More than a third of Irish road user fatalities have alcohol in their systems when toxicology tests are taken, new research has revealed.
The Road Deaths and Alcohol 2013-2017 report published by the Road Safety Authority (RSA ) focuses on road user fatalities who had a positive toxicology for alcohol at the time of the collision. The research reveals that, of the 600 road user fatalities with a toxicology result available, 219 (36.5 per cent ) had a positive toxicology for alcohol. Of these 219 road user fatalities, 135 (62 per cent ) were drivers/motorcycle drivers.
The report says 92 per cent were male and 82 per cent were under 45 years of age. Almost 70 per cent were found to have had blood alcohol concentrations that were greater than 150mg/ml. That is more than three times the limit for ordinary drivers and more than seven times higher than the limit for learner and professional drivers.
An Garda Síochána says 8,159 drivers were arrested in 2020 for drink driving, while in the first two months of 2021, it arrested 1,112 drivers for the same reason.
