Sir, – Your editorial "Drink-driving: a cop-out at the heart of Cabinet" (January 23rd) in relation to the enforcement of drink-driving legislation makes for disquieting reading.
That the enforcement of such legislation, intended to save human lives and lessen the trauma experienced by the relatives and friends of road-accident victims across the country, can be undermined by carefully orchestrated lobbying by vested interests is a shocking indictment of our society.
As you point out in your editorial, a major cultural shift has occurred in this country in the past two decades resulting in the reduction of the number of road deaths by some 70 per cent. It would be difficult to exaggerate the reality of this achievement for thousands of families who might otherwise have been devastated by the deaths of loved ones had drink-driving measures not been enforced by the Garda Síochána nor had publicity campaigns against drink-driving not been implemented by the Road Safety Authority.
In my work as a GP and as a coroner over many years, I was all too familiar with the suffering caused by drink-driving related fatalities.
That the drinks industry, whose only interest is in profits and market-share, is actively pressuring legislators to cut back on roadside testing for drink-driving is scandalous. The same industry contends – ad nauseam – the line that it is working to promote what it calls “responsible drinking”, while engaging in what you describe as “well-orchestrated uproar” against the implementation of the kind of legislation that could save lives.
It’s time that those who benefit from the marketing of alcoholic beverages in this country, whether institutions or individuals, give some serious thought to the tactics used by the drinks industry in pursuit of their commercial objectives. – Yours, etc,
Dr MICHAEL LOFTUS,
Crossmolina,
Co Mayo.