Drink Driving Is Not ‘A Bit of Craic’ - It’s a Killer

With road deaths increasing once again, and the number of drivers admitting to drink driving increasing, how can the authorities focus on making our roads safer, and alcohol and drug free?

By Evan Dalton

Road deaths in Ireland are increasing. Despite strong efforts from the Road Safety Authority [RSA], An Garda Síochána and the Government, road fatalities have increased from 162 in 2015, to 183 in 2025, and are already on the rise again in 2026. 

The automobile has never been safer, with the car industry working tirelessly to create new technological advancements in their products. Features such as lane assist, collision avoidance systems and even driver behaviour trackers within cars make them more risk-free and reliable. The quality of Irish roads is also on the rise, with the Government announcing a near €800 million allocation for road safety in the previous budget. 

 

Therefore, the only factor not addressed is the driver. 

 

Speed and mobile phone use being a cause of collisions is on the rise, but one of the biggest causes of collisions in Ireland is alcohol and drug intoxication. The question to ask is, why is this still a problem and how can it be stopped?

How many people are ‘drink driving?’

The world witnessed a ‘drink driving’ epidemic in the late 1980’s, which is still ongoing. Strong efforts to decrease driving while intoxicated, such as the reduction of the level of alcohol allowed while driving. In Ireland, a person with a permanent driving licence is allowed 0.05 per cent blood alcohol Blood Alcohol Concentration [BAC], with a learners permit holder allowed 0.02 per cent. There is zero tolerance on driving while under the influence of cannabis, cocaine and heroin.

Any form of intoxication while driving will lead to slower reaction times, lack of concentration and potentially blurred vision. Having these effects while travelling at speed, is likely to cause a road traffic accident. 

A report by the RSA Research Department estimates that drink driving is responsible for 37 per cent of road deaths in Ireland. This is higher than the EU average, estimated by the European Transport Safety Council [ETSC] as 25 per cent.

Figures published by the Central Statistics Office [CSO] show that the number of drivers convicted of driving under the influence of alcohol and/or drugs is on a similar level to where it was in 2015, on a decreasing trend from a spike during COVID-19 years.

However, these figures may not be accurate for the number of drivers who are in fact driving while intoxicated. A report published by Alcohol Action Ireland shows that one in eight drivers in Ireland admitted to driving while under the influence of alcohol over a 12-month period. That results in 380,000 potential offenders a year, with just over 6670 being caught. 

Ireland currently has the lowest level of roadside breath testing in the EU. According to the RSA’s Driver Attitudes & Behaviour Survey 2025, only 17 per cent of drivers were tested for the consumption of alcohol by the Gardaí over 12 months.

 

When, Where? 

In 2025, over 27 per cent of road fatalities occurred between the hours of 8pm and 8am, hours typically associated with intoxication while driving. Over half of fatalities occurred between Friday and Sunday. These statistics relate heavily to drunk driving, as the majority of arrests, 63 per cent, occur between 6pm and 3am. 53 per cent of these arrests, occur between Friday and Sunday. 

In a recent report by the RSA, it was revealed 70 per cent of driver fatalities from 2016 to 2020 that occurred during off-peak hours had a positive toxicology for alcohol. Intoxicated driving is more likely to occur on rural roads. It is also more likely for a fatality caused by intoxicated driving to occur on a rural road. Despite this, most incidents occurred in Dublin.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

So, what can be done to fix this?

The factual based investigations into road fatalities, specifically those caused by drunk driving shows that the majority of related incidents occur in a pattern. It is not sporadic, therefore can be prevented. 

An increase in roadside testing, targeting rural areas late at night, is likely to decrease those who take the risk due to an increased Garda presence. The Australian Government increased random roadside breath testing and have seen a decrease in intoxication while driving, according to a study conducted by the Australian Institute of Technology. An increase of testing by 10 per cent saw a considerable decrease in those who took the gamble.

Scandinavian nations are among the countries that have the lowest drink driving rates in the world due to their almost zero tolerance policy. A decrease of the allowed BAC level could also reduce the rate of drink driving. 

With fatalities on Irish roads increasing once again, matters such as drink driving are not just statistics, it is a matter of life and death.