As we move closer to 2025, discussions surrounding drink driving limits in Ireland have taken centre stage.
Current Drink Driving Regulations
As of now, the legal blood alcohol concentration (BAC) limits in Ireland are as follows:
General Drivers: The limit is 50mgs for most drivers.
Professional Drivers: A stricter limit of 20mgs applies to bus and truck drivers.
Novice and Learner Drivers: 20mgs.
"alcohol is used in the production of some cosmetics,
mouthwashes and hand sanitisers.
If these products were used frequently
or in heavy amounts, they could end up
being absorbed through the skin"
Proposed Changes for 2025
While specific regulations for 2025 have yet to be confirmed, there are a few key areas where changes may be considered:
Lowering BAC Limits: There have been ongoing discussions about potential reductions in the BAC limit for all drivers. Advocates for lower limits argue that reducing the legal limit can significantly decrease traffic accidents and fatalities attributed to alcohol consumption.
Increased Penalties: Enhancing penalties for drink driving offences has been on the agenda, with potential proposals looking at stricter fines, longer disqualification periods, and possibly mandatory educational programs for offenders. This would likely be implemented as a deterrent to both first-time and repeat offenders.
Expanded Campaigns and Awareness: Alongside potential legislative changes, 2025 may see an emphasis on road safety campaigns aimed at raising awareness about the dangers of drink driving.
Technological Solutions: The introduction of innovative technologies, such as alcohol detection devices in vehicles, may also be considered as part of the broader strategy to combat drink driving.
The state laboratory, the Medical Bureau of Road Safety, already endorses the use of some “alcohol ignition interlocks”. These devices are connected to the vehicle’s ignition system and require the motorist to blow into them before proceeding.
They can prevent a car from starting if the driver’s BAC exceeds the legal limit. These may become a requirement for motorist’s who have been convicted of drink driving more than once.
The Rationale for Change
The motivation for reviewing the drink driving laws stems from a desire to improve road safety and reduce the number of alcohol-related crashes on Irish roads.
Some Irish MEP’s from the EU Transport Committee in Brussels have called on Ireland to reduce the BAC from 50mgs to 20mgs.
Ireland South MEP Cynthia Ni Mhurchu has publicly stated that Ireland should follow the example of Spain, Norway and Sweden who have all reduced their drink driving limits to 20mgs. Both Norway and Sweden have some of the safest road safety records in Europe.
As Ireland approaches 2025, the discussion surrounding drink driving laws will likely continue to evolve.
So far 167 people have lost their lives on Irish roads in 2024.
The Czech Republic is one of 4 EU countries that has a zero limit for drink driving.
Could we adopt a zero-tolerance to alcohol limits?
Possibly, but probably not.
While the limit (currently at 50mgs) could drop to 20mgs, it probably won't drop to zero. This is because alcohol is used in the production of some cosmetics, mouthwashes and hand sanitisers. If these products were used frequently or in heavy amounts, they could end up being absorbed through the skin.
This could result in alcohol being present in your system at trace levels. But if the law changes to zero, then these trace levels could be enough -as unlikely as it might seem- to tip you over the limit, even if you’re a teetotaler.
So having a limit, however low, is necessary to prevent scenarios occurring where alcohol innocently shows up in your system.
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