New plan for drink drivers

A COUNSELLING re-education scheme for drivers who offend under existing drink or drug legislation is to be the subject of talks between the Department of Justice and the Road Safety Authority (RSA) in the coming fortnight.

Already, a number of judges have ruled that offenders must take courses in alcohol awareness, or re-sit driving tests following conviction for motoring-related offences.

However, the RSA is anxious to see a more formal pilot scheme put in place which would involve the courts routinely directing that those convicted of motoring offences attend suitable courses as part of their rehabilitation.

Under the current Road Safety Strategy, assessment and evaluation of such measures are to be completed by the middle of next year. Such measures also have the support of influential members of the RSA's advisory panel, Prof Denis Cusack of the Medical Bureau of Road Safety and Dr Ray Fuller of Trinity College Dublin.

Dr Fuller told The Irish Times he believed the counselling scheme should not be simply an alternative method of punishment, but a way in which drivers were educated to think about their behaviour. He also stressed the re-educational aspect and said he welcomed the prospect of offenders being asked to "realise the outcome" of their actions, perhaps by working with those handicapped as a result of vehicle crashes. Such a move, while not designed to link directly specific perpetrators and their victims, could be valuable as a deterrent, he said.

Both men stressed the point of the scheme would not be to put further strain on the offender, who they said may often have difficulty in living with the realisation of what they have done. The idea is being supported by the organisation Headway, which works with people who suffered brain injuries through vehicle crashes and other incidents.

Brian Farrell of the RSA said the authority would like to see a pilot scheme up and running before mid-2009. He said the authority would be meeting with officials from the Department of Justice on the issues involved within the next fortnight.

A spokeswoman for the Department of Justice said no pilot scheme had been agreed, but added that it was a target of the Road Safety Strategy to "research and evaluate the effectiveness of alternative correction/rehabilitation programmes for a range of road traffic offences" by the second half of next year.