An Garda Síochána and the Road Safety Authority are urging drivers not to drink and drive this Bank Holiday weekend.
The two agencies made a joint appeal in Tuam today, together with Minister of State Seán Canney, ahead of the June Bank Holiday weekend.
The appeal comes as RSA analysis has found that over a third of drivers killed on the road between 2016 and 2020 who were tested for alcohol in their blood tested positive.
70% of driver deaths who tested positive for alcohol were from crashes which occurred between 10pm and 6am, showing that drink driving is far more prevalent at night.
Minister of State Seán Canney said: “These figures are deeply concerning. They show a consistent pattern of people taking deadly risks by driving under the influence, especially at night.”
“My message this weekend is simple – never, ever drink and drive. It’s not worth the risk to your life or anyone else’s. I urge everyone to act responsibly and make safe choices on our roads.”
Sarah O’Connor, Director of Partnerships and External Affairs at the RSA, echoed the call, saying, “These statistics highlight the importance of targeted enforcement during off-peak hours to detect and remove intoxicated drivers from our roads.”
“Combining this with education and awareness initiatives that focus on the dangers of drink-driving – especially late at night – is critical to saving lives.”
Chief Superintendent David Harrington of the Garda National Roads Policing Bureau said, “Driving under the influence of an intoxicant, whether alcohol or drugs, is illegal and not only impairs your driving performance but removes your capacity to drive safely.”
“Some people may take the risk of driving under influence because they believe they won’t encounter Gardaí on the road to detect them”.
“But the reality is that we are on the roads conducting checkpoints and are called to the scene of every one of the fatal or serious injury collisions caused by a driver that has been drinking.”
“You can avoid putting your life and the lives of others at such high risk if you heed our advice to not consume alcohol or drugs if you know you are getting into a car to drive.”
This appeal coincides with the upcoming launch of a new RSA advertising campaign that addresses social acceptability of drink-driving.
The TV-led campaign will go live on June 11, and calls on the public to protect their friends, and other road users, by ensuring their friends don’t get behind the wheel after drinking.
The RSA is also reminding the public that the summertime period typically sees an increase in cyclist and motorcyclist casualties.
Road users are encouraged to slow down, expect the unexpected, and be especially mindful of vulnerable road users.
