Vol. 421 No. 4
41 Mr. Foxe asked the Minister for the Environment if he intends introducing legislation to reduce the legal blood-alcohol content to 80 mg alcohol per 100 ml of blood; and whether he has carried out any studies as to the effects of this legislation on people living in rural Ireland and on agri-tourism.
The text of a new Road Traffic Bill to deal with a number of issues, including a lower drink-driving limit, is currently being finalised. The current limit of 100 milligrammes of alcohol per 100 millilitres of blood is the highest in the European Community and it is my intention to propose a new limit of 80 milligrammes which is the maximum allowed in any other EC Member State.
Drink-driving is recognised internationally to be a significant factor in road accidents. A lower limit would reduce the scope for drinking and driving. I am satisfied that such a limit is fully justified on road safety grounds and that it would have widespread support in the community, in both urban and rural areas. A major road safety campaign is on-going, with a major focus on drink-driving.
