WHOPPING 83PC OF DRIVERS IGNORANT OF DRINK-DRIVING LIMIT

THE majority of Irish motorists have no idea what the legal drink driving limit is, according to a new survey. A massive 83pc of people don't know the point at which it becomes illegal to get behind the wheel of a car. More than one in two people drives the morning after a night of drinking, even if they have doubts about their state of mind.

And 35pc of drinkers openly admitted to driving while under the influence of alcohol. Some 1,183 anonymous motorists were interviewed for the survey at Ushers Quay Service Station last week. Daniel Dowling, of MTC Healthcare, which carried out the survey, told the Herald that he was not entirely surprised by the results, but that the large percentage of people driving the next morning had to be a worry for gardai.

One in six people arrested for drink driving last year was stopped the morning after consuming the alcohol. Mr Dowling says that the research clearly shows that there is a "real danger of drink driving for all drinkers".

Intoxicated

His company distributes the leading brand of home breath testing devices in Ireland and has sold 10,000 Alcologic Personal Breathalyzer units in the past year. Some 65pc of people questioned said they have never driven after drinking, but 52pc of respondents admitted that they have driven the morning after being intoxicated.

"Nearly all the people who buy their own breathalyser are worried about the morning," explained Mr Dowling. Nobody actually brings the car to the pub anymore, but many people don't have the luxury of staying in bed until 11 o'clock the next day, so that is when the problems occur."

New figures from the AA show that one in every five drivers has been breathalysed by gardai in the past year and that drivers in Dublin are the most likely to be tested. Recent reports have questioned the reliability of the personal breathalysers, but Mr Dowling says the Alcologic Personal Breathalyser has been tested alongside garda units, adding: "Personally I would put a lot of faith in them.

"Obviously we have to sell a responsible product and lab tests have shown an equal accuracy with garda ones."

Warning

However, he admitted that any breath tester comes with "a health warning". "It's a screening device. Just because a home pregnancy test shows up one thing, a woman doesn't go off and start buying baby clothes," he said.

Mr Dowling added: "Just because somebody is under the limit doesn't mean that they are fit to drive. "Technically you could be under the limit but still impaired."