Irish Daily Mirror

TD: Driving after a big meal as bad as too much booze

Healy-rae says eating too much as dangerous as drink on roads

- BY DAVID COLEMAN news@irishmirro­r.ie

EATING a big meal can impair driving as much as alcohol, a TD said yesterday.

Danny Healy-rae told an Oireachtas Transport Committee that motorists with full bellies are “a danger”. The Kerry politician and publican was objecting to proposals aimed at cracking down on drink-drivers in the new Road Traffic Act. He said: “If you eat too much and get in behind the wheel, you’re a danger on the road as you are likely to fall asleep. When I go home this evening I don’t eat going in behind the wheel as I know what it will do. “There could be many other reasons and causes of the accident as well the consumptio­n of a small amount of alcohol.” Under the road traffic proposals, anyone found to be driving with a blood alcohol level of 50mg-80mg per 100ml be given an automatic ban. At presents disqualifi­cation orders are only imposed when the motorist is above that amount. Road Safety Authority chief, Moyagh Murdock said it is “disingenuo­us” to play down the impact of alcohol on driving. She said: “From our research, all 250 drivers who consumed alcohol and were involved in a fatal collision were deemed culpable. “The fact that other contributo­ry factors were also identified in many of these collisions is ancillary to the current debate. “Yes, in some cases speed was a factor in addition to alcohol. In some cases fatigue was a factor. “It is disingenuo­us to say there is no evidence to say alcohol was a factor in collisions where the toxicology showed levels 51 to 80 [mg]. “It shows a lack of understand­ing of the effects of alcohol on the body.”

 ??  ?? BIZARRE Danny Healy-rae
BIZARRE Danny Healy-rae
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