Sir, – I am struggling to grasp the prominence with which Danny Healy-Rae's statements regarding alcohol and driving appear in your newspaper ("Bushes, not alcohol, are main cause of road deaths, says TD", April 6th). In this era of fake news and so called "alternate facts", this must be called out. The scientific evidence directly and completely contradicts his statement. Driving with any amount of alcohol increases the danger on our roads and leads to countless deaths and horrific injuries each year. There is zero scientific evidence that it does not. Zero. Furthermore, as a public representative his statements enable and even legitimise those who would like to ignore the law. It gives a forum to those for whom it's convenient to think that "two or three glasses" is okay. We have already witnessed "legitimised" behaviour driven by alternate facts and fake news in light of the US election. It is highly detrimental to social cohesion and can be catastrophic for the individuals at whom it is directed. – Yours, etc,
MARTIN ARRIGAN,
Vancouver,
Canada.
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A chara, – Without data, Danny Healy-Rae is just another TD with an opinion. – Is mise,
DERMOT O’ROURKE,
Lucan,
Co Dublin.
Sir, – Danny Healy-Rae is correct that briars and bushes are the cause of road accidents.
I know a man who was driving home from the pub one night after a “skinful”. He ended up in the ditch, even though he swears that he was driving perfectly correctly.
It was the ditch that moved out into the middle of the road that was the cause of the crash. – Yours, etc,
TOM O’ROURKE,
Gorey,
Co Wexford.