Emergency doctors favour drink-drive move

The Irish Association for Emergency Medicine (IAEM) has welcomed Transport Minister Noel Dempsey's plan to reduce the legal blood alcohol limit in drivers from 80 to 50 mg.

The Association represents physicians who work in hospital emergency departments (EDs).

The IAEM says the reduction in death and injury which would result from this measure outweighs all other concerns that have been raised by groups opposing the change.

"Reducing the limit offers a clear signal that Ireland will not tolerate drink driving." the IAEM said.

It points out that all too often, and particularly at weekends, those who staff the country's EDs deal with broken and maimed bodies following 'accidents' in which a driver has consumed alcohol.

Many of those injured are victims of such drink drivers, the IAEM has pointed out.

"The statistics don't fully represent these forgotten people; people whose lives have been changed forever because of the selfish decision of another to drink and drive," the IAEM said.

[Posted: Tue 03/11/2009]