Just one glass of wine could put you over drink-driving limit, gardai warn

JUST one glass of wine or a pint of beer could put you over the drink-driving limit.

The warning to drivers came as gardai and Road Safety Authority launched their Christmas and New Year safety appeal earlier today.

Professor Denis Cusack, Director of the Medical Bureau of Road Safety, said that while he wants people to enjoy the festive season, drink-driving can have devastating consequences.

“If you’ve been out drinking until two or three in the morning, there’s a big risk, particularly if you’re a learner driver or a novice driver where the limit is 20 (20 mls of alcohol per 100mls of blood), not only of being caught but also of being in an accident and causing injury or killing somebody,” he told RTE’s Morning Ireland.

Experts are also warning about the dangers of driving the morning after drinking alcohol. New figures show that 11% cent of fatal collisions in which a driver had consumed alcohol happened between 7am and 11am.

Garda statistics reveal that 6pc of all Driving Under the Influence arrests this year happened between 7am and 11am, with the highest percentage of these happening on Sunday mornings.

Transport Minister Shane Ross echoed these sentiments at the appeal’s launch earlier today.

“If you have done the right thing the night before, don’t forget to do the right thing and make alternative arrangements to travel the morning after,” the minister said.

RSA Chairperson Liz O’Donnell added: “If you have been on a drinking session the night before and got to bed very late you could still have alcohol in your system.”