What's the news?
For all of those thinking that four decades or more of warnings, both constant and dreadful, over drink driving had worked and that we were all far more sensible now, think again. For all those who assumed that the problem was one of older drivers, less well educated or more rural-dwelling, again; think again.
The number of fatal accidents in which alcohol was the primary contributing factor has risen from 15 per cent in 2007 to 20 per cent now, according to a new reports released this week by the Road Safety Authority, (RSA). Of those, half of all the drivers or motorcyclists involved had more than four times the legal blood alcohol limit in their systems. And 43 per cent of all fatalities were men aged between 16 and 24.
The rest of the statistics are appallingly predictable. Rural roads are the most dangerous, and they are at their most dangerous between 9pm on a Friday to 6am on a Monday, with significant spikes between 11pm and 7am.
Almost a third of the drivers and bikers involved in fatal incidents had a previous record of drink-driving and 86 per cent of the drivers weren't even wearing a seatbelt.
Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport, Shane Ross, TD, said: "This important report highlights that Ireland continues to have a problem with alcohol and road use. The consequences are having a devastating effect in our communities. We must continue educating drivers, pedestrians, cyclists and passengers about the very real dangers and consequences of making the bad decision to use the road after consuming alcohol. This is particularly important as we approach the high risk bank holiday weekend. For some the temptation may be there but I would urge these people to think carefully about the choices they make. We know alcohol promotes risky and potentially life-threatening behaviour - not just among drivers, but among all road users."
There is an issue with enforcement, though. Chief Superintendent Aidan Reid, An Garda Síochána said: "Over 3,000 people have been arrested on suspicion of driving under the influence of an intoxicant since the beginning of the year. We wish to remind road-users that An Garda Síochána will be out on the roads over the bank holiday weekend to monitor all high risk behaviour, including drink driving." He also reminded drivers that "The powers of An Garda Síochána enable us to breath test any driver who has committed a road traffic offence. We want everyone to enjoy the long weekend without fear of meeting a drunk or dangerous driver on the roads. Drink driving is one of the most selfish and dangerous things you can do - not only are you putting your own life at risk, you're putting other people's lives at risk. So this weekend, members of An Garda Síochána will be out in force to ensure that those who are taking unnecessary risks are prevented from endangering others."
For all that though, the rise in alcohol related deaths has occurred in a period, from 2008 to 2015, when Garda resources were being cut and budgets trimmed. While no-one wanted to speak on the record about this fact, there is a tacit admission within the RSA that a perception that you're less likely to run into a checkpoint may have contributed to the rise in people taking chances with alcohol.
Maggie Martin, the RSA's research director, who compiled the report, told CompleteCar.ie that "this isn't just an issue of people having one drink and taking a chance, so a zero-limit, zero-tolerance approach that we've seen in some countries wouldn't necessarily be appropriate. The vast majority of those involved in fatal, alcohol-related crashes were well into the higher ends of blood alcohol levels."
It's a stark fact that it's by far younger drivers, and male ones at that, who are most likely to kill or be killed, and the RSA pointed to the fact that much of the drinking is not taking place in pubs - it's being done at home, with cheap off-sales booze, often with driving between houses for extended drinking sessions. Younger men are basically getting slaughtered, and then getting behind the wheel and being slaughtered.
Moyagh Murdock, Chief Executive of the Road Safety Authority said: "Alcohol has played a significant role in road traffic collisions in Ireland. An RSA report from 2011 showed that alcohol was a confirmed contributory factor in 15% of fatal collisions involving a driver or motorcyclist who had consumed alcohol between 2005 and 2007. The study published today shows that this has risen to 20%. This is deeply worrying. While the majority of people in this country do the right thing, it is shocking to see that alcohol is still a significant factor. It shows that while we all understand in theory that we shouldn't drink and drive or walk home drunk, we still have not fully eradicated the practice in Ireland, and even more harrowing was the sheer number of young people - young men in particular - who lost their lives on our roads as a result of alcohol."