Sunday Independent (Ireland)

Designated driver is the safe way forward

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Sir — Under new drinkdrivi­ng legislatio­n, anybody convicted of driving with more than 50mg of alcohol per 100ml of blood in her/his system now faces an automatic three-month driving ban. The blood alcohol limit for learner drivers and profession­al drivers is 20mg.

This legislatio­n will further deter motorists from risking a drink-driving conviction and encourage them to adhere to the Road Safety Authority’s appeal to never drink and drive.

Of course, people are entitled to have a few drinks of an evening. Nursing a bottle of stout at home on your lonesome bears no comparison to enjoying a cool, velvety pint of black in the convivial atmosphere of the local pub. It’s often left to kind neighbours to ensure no rural dweller is denied a relaxing evening in the pub. In that regard, a nocturnal rural transport service would be a great help. Another very feasible option is a “drop and collect” by a local taxi or minibus service.

Whenever I’m travelling to a match or a social event with family or friends, we have an understand­ing that the driver remains alcohol-free. It’s a great system which is ideal for rural socialisin­g and sports fixtures. If five people car-pool, four occupants can enjoy a drink in comfort knowing they have a designated alcohol-free driver to get them safely home.

Safety on the road depends on a number of variables. Mobile phone misuse, fatigue, defective vehicles, inexperien­ce, excessive speed and illegal drugs all contribute to road accidents. But if each one of us were to make a moral decision never to drive with alcohol in the system, the Road Safety Authority’s ongoing campaign for safety on our roads would get a welcome boost. Billy Ryle,

Tralee, Co Kerry

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