Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 4 April 2017
632. Deputy Brendan Griffin asked the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport his views on whether the recent overestimation of breath testing by the Garda will distort the Road Safety Authority's drink-driving figures; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [16107/17]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe recent revelations about Garda figures for numbers of preliminary breath tests conducted, while deeply concerning, do not have any relation to the drink driving figures produced by the Road Safety Authority (RSA), which rely on a different data set.
The Garda figures which have recently been shown to be inaccurate are figures for the number of preliminary breath tests carried out. These preliminary tests are used, predominately at the roadside, to enable members of An Garda Síochána to form an opinion as to whether a person is driving under the influence of alcohol. As such, they are not used in evidence in court.
The RSA's studies of the impact of drink driving on the number of fatalities recorded rely on the outcome of an inquest into a person's death. Figures for road deaths which involve alcohol are therefore based on coroners' reports.
