Half a pint and you’re banned: New drink-driving laws today

STRINGENT new drink driving laws that could put the average person over the limit for drinking half a pint of beer will come into effect today.

Drink drivers will receive an automatic ban, replacing the previous system which gave penalty points and fines instead of taking them off the road.

The new law seeks to stop drivers from drinking any alcohol before getting behind the wheel and was opposed by independent rural TDs, some of whom were accused of filibustering in the Dáil in an attempt to defeat it.

From today, a three-month ban will apply for any drivers detected with a blood alcohol concentration of between 50mg and 80mg.

Learner drivers and those driving professionally will be considered to be over the limit at the lower level of 20mg.

One standard drink equates to as little as a half pint of beer, or 100ml of wine – but given the varying impact of alcohol on people, one standard drink could likely put a driver over the limit.

Minister for Transport Shane Ross said that the legislation was widely welcomed in the Oireachtas despite efforts to filibuster it ‘by playing irresponsible parliamentary games’.

He said: ‘They failed, and the Irish public at large will be the winners.

‘Let me be clear – we are not interested in punishing people, what we want is for people to behave responsibly.’

Moyagh Murdock of the Road Safety Authority said the legislation ‘sends out a clear signal that drink driving is something that is no longer acceptable or tolerable in our communities’.

She said that 39% of driver fatalities involve drink driving, and that it is ‘still a substantial problem in Ireland’.

The bill was passed in July after much controversy in the Dáil where it was debated over its potential impact on rural communities.

The bill was eventually passed by 75 votes to eight before proceeding to the Seanad.