Madam, – It is heartening to see that the first Act passed by the new Dáil is the Road Traffic Act 2011 which sees the introduction of mandatory alcohol testing for surviving drivers in road crashes where a person is injured.
The Minister for Transport, Leo Varadkar, has followed up on the good work of his predecessor, Noel Dempsey, in introducing evidence-based legislation that has resulted in, and will continue to result in, fewer deaths and injuries on our roads.
The Faculty of Public Health Medicine, RCPI, looks forward to further legislation, based on evidence of what works, particularly in the areas of alcohol and tobacco, which are both major causes of ill health. In addition, both alcohol and tobacco are significant drivers of healthcare costs. Evidence-based strategies will, therefore, not just improve our health and save lives, but also reduce the cost of running the country. – Yours, etc,