Madam, - In his letter advocating a reduction in the alcohol limit for drivers (April 8th), Gerry Watson cites recent developments in Britain in support of his argument. He refers to a UK government research paper published in 2006 which purported to show that a reduction in the limit from 80mgs (as also applies in Ireland) to 50mgs (as in most of Europe) was desirable as it "could prevent 50 deaths and 250 serious injuries".
Had Mr Watson done a little more of his own research he would have uncovered the results of the UK Road Safety Review published in March 2000 by the Department of Transport and which rejected a reduction in the limit as unnecessary and a waste of police resources, because the real problem was a hard core of offenders who routinely drove well in excess of existing limits. This is the cohort responsible for the overwhelming majority of drink-related fatalities on British roads.
I note from his letter that Mr Watson lives in Dublin 4, where presumably local pubs and restaurants are easily reached on foot. For the less fortunate who don't reside in this fabled suburb the reality is a lot different.
Reducing the legal limit to 50mgs in Ireland would criminalise many previously law-abiding citizens and alter beyond recognition the social landscape of our country.
Hitherto harmless activities such as going to the pub after a match for a pint or having a glass of wine with friends at lunch will be finished. Professionals who depend on their driver's licence for their livelihoods - taxi-drivers, sales reps, gardaí - would have to fundamentally alter their drinking patterns as even a few drinks the night before would leave them over the limit for much of the next day.
In many European countries drivers found to be in the 50-80mgs category do not automatically lose their licence but receive penalty points instead. Any harmonisation of our own limits with those in Europe should take this into account.
There is understandable public disquiet at the scale of road deaths, but we live in a country where alcohol plays a central role in everyday human interaction. The Minister for Justice has a difficult decision to make. - Yours, etc,
PHILIP DONNELLY, Donadea, Naas, Co Kildare.