Almost 1 in 12 Irish motorists have been involved in a collision or experienced a near miss as a result of a road user operating their vehicle while under the influence of alcohol. A recent AA Car Insurance survey of over 6,000 motorists in November 2017 found that 7.39% of those surveyed had been involved in a near miss or collision where they or another road user were driving under the influence of alcohol. Just under 2% of those surveyed reported being involved in one such incident with the past year, while 4.31% stated that they had been involved in at least one such incident over a year ago. The survey also found that 16.99% of such incidents occurred on minor roads, a point which the AA argues highlights the need for increased Garda resources to police drink-driving in these areas. “Due to a lack of resources Gardaí have to prioritise the policing of major routes, but in order to stamp out drink-driving we need to see Gardaí outside pubs across the country at closing time and along minor roads.

Source: Irish Examiner January 21, 2018 14:26 UTC