Alcohol continues to play a ‘devastating role’ in crashes
10% of Irish drivers admit to drinking alcohol at least once in the last 30 days, according to ESRA
Print11 June 2025
While drink-driving reports in Ireland are lower than the EU average, alcohol continues to play a devastating role in crashes, according to research by E-Survey of Road Users’ Attitudes (ESRA) in 2023.
10% of Irish drivers versus 15% of drivers across the EU admit to driving after drinking alcohol at least once in the last 30 days, the data indicates.
Road safety conference
To bring awareness to the issue of drink-driving, the Road Safety Authority (RSA) is hosting its annual international road safety conference today (11 June) in Dublin, bringing together national and international experts to examine one of the most urgent challenges in road safety — driving under the influence of alcohol and other drugs.
RSA’s analysis of coronial data of driver fatalities between 2016 and 2020 revealed that 35% of drivers with toxicology results available tested positive for alcohol.
That figure jumps to 70% for driver fatalities that occurred late at night and into the early morning (between 10pm-6am).
Speakers
Speakers will address a range of topics, including evolving trends in drink and drug-driving, enforcement strategies, the role of medical and behavioural interventions, and the use of alcohol ignition interlock devices — a proven technology already in use across several European countries to prevent drink-driving among high-risk offenders.
The conference will also feature a presentation by Dr. Kiran Sarma from the University of Galway, who will discuss the latest findings of an in-depth, RSA-commissioned, study of drug-driving.
‘Pivotal time’
This year’s conference comes at a ‘pivotal time’.
Despite longstanding efforts, intoxicated driving continues to contribute significantly to road fatalities in Ireland and across Europe.
It is estimated that 25% of all road deaths in the EU are alcohol-related, for example.
Commenting Sam Waide, chief executive of the RSA, said: “Driving under the influence of alcohol and drugs means slower reaction times, reduced alertness, impaired judgment, and poor vision, which drastically increases the risk of serious collisions.
“We at the RSA are committed to educating and informing drivers of the risks, so that motorists can make informed decisions. Our new anti-drink-driving campaign, launched by Minister Canney today, and the recent anti-drug driving campaign is testament to that.”
“Everyone has a role to play when it comes to road safety, and I urge everyone to do better so we can reduce the number of injuries and fatalities on Irish roads”.
Read more: RSA, Gardaí and Minister Canney urge drivers not to drink and drive
© 2025, ShelfLife by Peter Murphy
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