Statement by PARC Road Safety Group
Wednesday, 4 January 2017
PARC supports Minister Ross’s plan to increase penalties for drink driving
PARC Road Safety Group is very pleased with the steps Minister Shane Ross is planning to take to reduce the numbers of those killed and injured on our roads. In the 2010 Road Traffic Act; Minister Dempsey introduced a law which watered down the penalties for drink driving. For the first time a drink driving offence (for a driver with an alcohol level up to 80mgs) did not merit a disqualification. Instead they received three penalty points and a €200 fine. A review was promised in 18 months to see if the law was working properly to reduce the incidence of drink driving. We now know from official Garda figures that this law is not doing law abiding road users any favours. We strongly support Minister Ross when he states that all drink drivers should get a disqualification and we call on the Taoiseach to do likewise.
We also call on the Taoiseach to fully support Minister Ross to reduce the legal alcohol limit from 50mg to 20mg for all drivers.
Inspector Michael Harrison head of Donegal Traffic Corps revealed recently that with reduced Garda resources, hardworking Gardai are detecting more than half the amount of drink drivers from one year ago. We don’t believe that an increase of 10% in the Traffic Corps strength will make one iota of difference in deterring drink driving. We must have a visible presence of Gardai on our roads regularly to act as a deterrent to drink driving.
Our politicians need to get real about the horrible effects of drink driving and adopt a zero-tolerance approach towards it. It has devastated families across the length and breadth of this country by killing and maiming other road users. It must not be allowed to continue.
ENDS
Wednesday, 4 January 2017
PARC supports Minister Ross’s plan to increase penalties for drink driving
PARC Road Safety Group is very pleased with the steps Minister Shane Ross is planning to take to reduce the numbers of those killed and injured on our roads. In the 2010 Road Traffic Act; Minister Dempsey introduced a law which watered down the penalties for drink driving. For the first time a drink driving offence (for a driver with an alcohol level up to 80mgs) did not merit a disqualification. Instead they received three penalty points and a €200 fine. A review was promised in 18 months to see if the law was working properly to reduce the incidence of drink driving. We now know from official Garda figures that this law is not doing law abiding road users any favours. We strongly support Minister Ross when he states that all drink drivers should get a disqualification and we call on the Taoiseach to do likewise.
We also call on the Taoiseach to fully support Minister Ross to reduce the legal alcohol limit from 50mg to 20mg for all drivers.
Inspector Michael Harrison head of Donegal Traffic Corps revealed recently that with reduced Garda resources, hardworking Gardai are detecting more than half the amount of drink drivers from one year ago. We don’t believe that an increase of 10% in the Traffic Corps strength will make one iota of difference in deterring drink driving. We must have a visible presence of Gardai on our roads regularly to act as a deterrent to drink driving.
Our politicians need to get real about the horrible effects of drink driving and adopt a zero-tolerance approach towards it. It has devastated families across the length and breadth of this country by killing and maiming other road users. It must not be allowed to continue.
ENDS
