The Minister for the Environment, Dick Roche, has said he would have few difficulties with a zero alcohol limit for driving, but he warned that this may not be enough to stop the "carnage" on Irish roads.
As gardaí yesterday confirmed that they have launched a major safety check on buses and heavy goods vehicles, Mr Roche told RTÉ radio yesterday that he had supported an outright ban on alcohol advertising "across all media" on several occasions. As a non-drinker, he would have "very little difficulties with a zero alcohol limit".
"I'm not sure that the zero alcohol limit would solve it. The existing limit, if it were adhered to, would avoid the carnage," he said.
"I would perhaps take the view that if we were to change the limits and if we were for example to ban all advertising of alcohol it may have an impact," Mr Roche said. "But if we really want to stop the carnage on our roads Irish people, I mean more Irish people, have to start behaving responsibly."
He described as "nonsense" calls for the chairman of the Road Safety Authority, Gay Byrne, to resign.
Mr Roche's comments came after a man in his late 40s became the 13th person to die on Irish roads since Sunday morning, when the car in which he was travelling crashed in Co Offaly on Tuesday evening.
The man died after he lost control of the car at about 8pm at Clongarrett, near Clonbollogue. He was later pronounced dead at Tullamore General Hospital.
Meanwhile, gardaí have commenced a major nationwide crackdown on buses and large commercial vehicles this week, the Garda press office confirmed yesterday evening.
Using uniformed checkpoints supported by covert checks at selected locations, the joint operation has been under way on national primary routes since last Monday.