Madam, - Your Editorial of March 4th, "Carnage on the roads", is strongly critical of the evils of drunk-driving. So it should be and so should be all concerned citizens.
However, it goes on to equate drink-driving with drunk-driving. There is a difference, a very material difference for those - not only farmers but rural dwellers generally - who find themselves tagged with the name of drunk drivers when they may have had a mere two or three social drinks in the comfort of a rural pub.
Essentially what everyone should be concerned with is how to deal with the carnage on the roads. It must be possible to determine exactly how much alcohol has been consumed by the drivers involved in car crashes for which they are found to be responsible. Publication of these statistics would, I believe, demonstrate that the main factors in such cases are drunk driving, excessive speed, consumption of drugs, or a combination of those, mostly by young drivers in the early hours of the morning.
I dare say it would be found that the amount of drink involved merits the description of drunk driving and is removed from the modest consumption typical of responsible members of the drinking public. - Yours, etc,
DECLAN BRENNAN,
Claristown,
Julianstown,
Co Meath.