IRELAND South MEP and member of the EU Transport Committee, Cynthia Ní Mhurchú, has raised concerns over testing for drink driving in Limerick.
The number of Mandatory Intoxication Testing checkpoints conducted by An Garda Síochána in Limerick declined from 525 in Q4 2022 to 252 in Q4 2023.
The Fianna Fáil MEP now believes that Ireland should follow Spain’s lead in reducing the blood alcohol limit for drink driving from 0.5 grammes per litre to 0.2.
According to Ní Mhurchú, the lower Spanish limit put the country on the same level as Norway and Sweden, two of the safest countries in Europe in terms of road safety. She feels Ireland should follow the lead of countries like Italy and Germany in lowering the legal alcohol limits for learner drivers to zero.
Ní Mhurchú is also of the view that learner drivers should not be allowed to consume any alcohol when learning to drive.
The Medical Bureau of Road Safety in Ireland’s annual report identified repeat offending as a problem when it comes to drink and drug driving, with 265 drivers arrested in 2023 for intoxicated driving more than once. One particular driver was arrested seven times.
Spain has also taken a leading role in the promotion of alcohol interlocks, which can prevent drivers over the limit from starting the engine by asking the driver to blow into a device before every trip to ensure they are below the legal alcohol limit.
Ní Mhurchú says she has previously called for the widespread use of alcohol interlocks.
