Drive safely out there.
The Road Traffic (Amendment) Bill 2017 passed through the Oireachtas back in July of this year after senators voted in favour of the legislation. President Michael D. Higgins has since signed the bill into law, and its changes will take effect tonight (25 October).
The new laws see the introduction of an automatic driving ban for first-time offenders, including those detected at the lowest limit. Stricter penalties on drink-drivers have also been introduced and it will now be an offence for car owners to allow a learner to drive their car unaccompanied without a qualified driver.
Specifically, those driving with between 50 milligrammes and 80 milligrammes of alcohol per 100 millilitres of blood, 107 milligrammes of alcohol per 100 millilitres of urine, or 35 microgrammes of alcohol per 100 millilitres of breath, will be disqualified from driving for a period of 3 months and receive a fine of €200
Liz O’Donnell, Chairperson of the Road Safety Authority, has welcomed the changes and feels that its “passing reflects a long standing commitment by the vast majority of public representatives to support laws that improve road safety.”
She adds: “Enforcement statistics for the first six months of 2018 showed in excess of 4000 motorists arrested for driving under the influence. These numbers show that despite some improvement in driver behaviour over the years, there remains a stubborn cohort of people to continue with high risk behaviour, endangering themselves and other road users.I would appeal to road users to be especially careful on the roads over these summer months and help us reduce road traffic fatalities and serious injuries.”
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