Never been breathalysed: Roads Minister and RSA boss admit on TV that they've never been tested for drink-driving

Minister Jack Chambers said that “behaviours slipped” during Covid-19 lockdowns as roads weren’t as congested, but added that there are other factors such as drink and drug driving, using a phone while driving, and speeding that are leading to the surge in road deaths.

Four people died in a 24-hour period so far this week in separate accidents in Cork, Dublin and Donegal.

So far this year, 68 people have died on Irish roads and over 300 people have been seriously injured in crashes. In 2023, 185 people were killed in crashes and 1,438 people were seriously injured.

"It absolutely is worsening and it's a crisis. We have had terrible devastation, four lives lost the last 24 hours, causing such tragedy and loss to so many families and communities,” Minister Chambers told Virgin Media’s The Tonight Show.

"The particular spike we've seen this year is amongst young people, a huge increase in the number of [fatalities] between 16 and 25.

"Speed is a serious issue across the country and excessive speed on our roads; distracted driving, people using their mobile phones, being distracted, looking down and potentially killing a pedestrian or vulnerable person or the car going out of control.

“Intoxicated driving; people drinking or drug driving is a significant issue, and particularly drunk driving, is on an upward trend and the gardaí flag that as a very serious issue.

"A lot of this is personal responsibility. People know that speed kills, it is the single biggest factor when it comes to the recklessness and the carelessness on our roads,” Minister Chambers said.

Mr Chambers, along with RSA chair Liz O’Donnell, admitted neither of them had ever been breathalysed while driving and the minister struggled to recall the last time he was stopped at a checkpoint, saying it was likely during the Covid-19 lockdowns. Labour TD Duncan Smith said the last time he was breathalysed was when the last episode of the Sopranos aired on TV – 17 years ago in June 2007.

The minister admitted enforcement levels from Gardaí were “not where they needed to be” and that there was “a collapse in enforcement over a number of years”, but said this was being targeted in recent times. Garda Commissioner Drew Harris recently directed that all uniformed gardaí carry out at least 30 minutes of road policing duties in every shift they work.

The number of people dying on roads on average every month continues to rise, from 15 in 2023 to 19 in 2024, an Oireachtas Committee heard today.

Members from the Road Safety Authority appeared before the Oireachtas Transport Committee on Wednesday where collision data from 2023 and provisional data for 2024 were presented.

During his opening statement, chief executive of the RSA, Sam Waide said while it was still too early for gardaí to confirm the primary contributing factor to fatal crashes in 2024, data had indicated that certain time periods “present greater risks in terms of driver behaviours”.

Mr Waide said the provisional data for road deaths this year between January 1 and April 21 showed that 36pc of road deaths occurred late at night or early in the morning while 25pc happened between 4pm and 8pm.

“Research suggests these periods present greater risks in terms of driver behaviours like drink driving, taking drugs and driving and fatigue,” Mr Waide said.

He said that last year, 60 of those who died were under the age of 25, a higher number than in previous years.

“Last year there were a higher number of young lives lost than any of the past five years. Tragically, we lost 12 children under the age of 16. Forty-eight teenagers and young adults aged 16 to 25 died on our roads,” he added.

Rural roads were the location of 70pc of road deaths in 2023, Mr Waide told the committee.

“In terms of location, rural roads with a speed limit of 80km/h or more accounted for seven in 10 deaths in 2023,” Mr Waide said.

A total of 47pc of road deaths happened late at night or the early hours of the morning, representing an increase compared to 2022 and 48pc occurred on the weekend, the chief executive said.

Speeding, alcohol and drug use before driving and mobile phone usage were described as the “killer behaviours” behind road traffic collisions.Drivers and passengers not wearing seatbelts was also included in the list of behaviours. A quarter of those killed on roads last year were not wearing a seatbelt, said Michael Rowland, the RSA’s director of research, standards and assurance.

“Seatbelt wearing has deteriorated. Twenty-three percent of drivers and 21pc of passengers were not wearing a seatbelt in our observational surveys. A quarter of people killed on our roads last year weren't wearing a seatbelt,” Mr Rowland said.

While education and engineering were some of the things suggested to combat the rising number of road deaths, Mr Waide said enforcement was crucial in getting drivers to change their behaviour.

“Research clearly demonstrates that greater levels of high visibility enforcement will reduce dangerous driving behaviours and collisions on our roads and we urge sufficient resources for dedicated policing of our roads in Ireland.

“We welcome the implementation of the garda 30-minute high visibility policing proposal,” Mr Waide said.