We’ve changed how we use the road. Collectively, Ireland has made a decision to wake up to unnecessary deaths on the road, and together, we’ve saved 1105 lives in the past decade. Changing our attitude to drink driving has played a big part in this achievement.
Just over ten years ago, less than a third of people subscribed to the view that there is simply no amount of alcohol you can drink if driving. Last year, the same question was asked, and more than two thirds of people agreed with this statement.
We’ve come a long way, and as a consequence, we’ve saved the population of an entire town in the last decade compared to the ten years previous. Our campaign to highlight the new changes in the drink drive limit looks at the town of Kilkee in Co. Clare – a town with a population slightly less than the number we’ve saved – 1024.
This hopeful message is a thank you to the people of Ireland for making these changes on the road, and coincides with the reduction of the blood alcohol levels for drink driving. We are saying: ‘Thank you for all the good work up to now. But, with reductions in the drink drive limit, we will be able to save even more lives.’
What’s happening?
The drink drive limit which has come down in line with Europe, will see the current limit drop from 80 milligrams (mg) to 50 milligrams (mg) for all drivers and from 80 milligrams (mg) to 20 milligrams (mg) for learner, newly qualified drivers (for a period of two years after passing the driving test) and professional drivers such as bus, goods vehicle and public service vehicle drivers (PSV).
The lowering of the drink drive limit will see the introduction of a new Administrative Penalty System to deal with offences under the new limits. In all cases, if a driver fails a preliminary breath test at the road side he or she will be arrested and required to provide an evidential breath, blood or urine specimen at a Garda station. Over these limits you face a fine, and risk penalty points, disqualification - or worse. (View penalties applying to new lower drink drive limits).
The New Campaign
In the new TV campaign the action in the ad looks at the town of Kilkee absent of people. There is a thoughtful feeling – almost wondering what it would be like if these thousand people had have died. What would have happened to their friends? Families? Communities? As the voiceover speaks to us, however, we see that all of these people are actually here, living a full and rich life. The ad is a celebration of what we have all done on the road. It’s a celebration of life which otherwise mightn’t have been.
The key anti drink driving measures over the last decade
- 2000 First all island anti drink driving shock advert ‘Shame’ is aired on TV
- 2005 Second all island anti drink driving shock advert ‘Just One’ is aired on TV
- 2006 Introduction of Mandatory Alcohol Testing
- 2007 Introduction of stricter penalties for drink driving offences
- 2009 Draft legislation to lower the drink driving limit published
- 2010 Legislation to lower the drink driving limit passed.
- 2011 Mandatory testing at collision scenes where someone has been injured introduced.
- 2011 Drink drive limit lowered to 50 mg & 20 mg, in line with the rest of Europe.
For further research and information visit our Drink Driving campaign page.
Read official press release.