ONE OF the main critics of a reduction in the blood/alcohol limit for motorists, Fianna Fáil TD Mattie McGrath, has argued that a drink helps nervous drivers to relax behind the wheel. Unfortunately, it also contributes to death and injury on the roads. This failure to acknowledge the malign influence of alcohol is nothing new. But when more than 20 TDs and Senators combine to oppose progressive legislation because of lobbying by the drinks industry, questions have to be asked. The main one is whether these people deserve to be re-elected.
We have a serious problem with alcohol abuse. It is compounded by widespread denial. Drunken driving has been one of its prime manifestations. That began to alter in recent years because of advertising campaigns, greater use of breathalysers and Garda enforcement. Changing attitudes were reflected in a lower incidence of deaths and injuries. Now Minister for Transport Noel Dempsey wants to go a step further and bring our drink-driving laws into line with the majority of our EU partners. As might be expected, publicans and the drinks industry have strenuously opposed any change.
There is a particular problem with drink driving in country areas. That is where the majority of fatal crashes occur. They frequently involve speeding and young people. And they have a devastating effect on families and local communities. The situation can no longer be tolerated. In spite of public warnings from the Garda Síochána that special breathalyser checkpoints were to be mounted last weekend, more than 500 drivers were found to exceed the blood/alcohol limit. That figure shows how far many motorists have to go to take their responsibilities seriously.
It has been suggested that penalties for exceeding the proposed blood/alcohol limit will not involve an automatic loss of driving licences. If that approach ensures passage of the legislation, so be it. Research elsewhere has shown that a reduction in limits has the effect of causing heavy drinkers to also cut back on their consumption, thereby making roads safer. Rather than oppose this Road Traffic Bill on the spurious grounds that it will destroy the quality of life in rural Ireland, Mr McGrath and his colleagues would serve their communities better by campaigning for a better public transport system and other local services.
Nearly two-thirds of motorists support the introduction of stricter drink-driving limits. The Northern Ireland Executive expects to implement similar controls next year. It will represent a small step towards greater individual responsibility and a weakening of our alcohol-dominated culture. Five people were killed on our roads last weekend, two of them pedestrians, with shattering consequences for their families. Safety on our roads should not become a party-political issue. Opposition parties may relish the discomfiture of Taoiseach Brian Cowen arising from a backbench Fianna Fáil revolt. But if they are serious about forming the next government, Fine Gael and Labour should come out in support of socially-progressive legislation.