Ireland sobers up to drink-driving
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Ireland is getting tough on drink drivers, cutting the allowed blood alcohol limit.Road campaigners are overjoyed, but critics say the measure is just a publicity stunt.
The Irish parliament passed the Road Traffic Bill two weeks ago, reducing the drink driving limit from 80 mg to 50 mg of alcohol per 100 ml of blood. Inexperienced and professional drivers, like taxi drivers and haulers, will be limited to 20 mg/100ml.
First-time offenders who break the new limit will get three penalty points and a 200 euro fine, second time offenders lose their drivers' license.
The European Transport Safety Council says the move brings Irish legislature into line with other European countries.
Critics argue the new limits are unnecessary as the country's road safety records have also improved considerably over the past decade.
Padraig Cribben, head of the Vinters Federation, says the bill will not have any effect on road safety records, becausespeeding and not drinking is the major cause of fatal accidents.
The bill will, however, not come into force until September 2011, as it will take the Medical Bureau of Road Safety a year to test breath-testing equipment.
