A device which prevents a vehicle from starting if alcohol is detected on the driver's breath was demonstrated at a Safe and Sober seminar held in Dublin yesterday, jointly hosted by the European Transport Safety Council (ETSC), the Road Safety Authority (RSA) Health and Safety Authority (HSA) and An Garda Siochana.
It was part of the ETSC's campaign on drink driving, with a particular focus on employers. The seminars, which are supported by Volvo Trucks and Alcohol Countermeasures Systems, are organised by the ETSC in selected European countries.
The aim is to bring together road safety stakeholders, experts and organisations to raise awareness among employers of drink driving in the workplace, particularly in the commercial transport industry, and 'to explore measures to address this high risk behaviour'.
Among the speakers were representatives from the ETSC, the Medical Bureau of Road Safety, the HSA, Volvo Trucks, ACS, Interactive Driving Systems (UK) and Boras Transport Ltd (Sweden). Carlsberg and Matthews Coach Hire - an Irish coach company - presented case studies on the implementation of alcohol interlocks in their business, showing how the technology has contributed to safer employees and reduced risk on the roads. There were representatives from approximately 30 major Irish companies at the conference.
Antonio Avenoso of the ETSC said drink driving is a contributory factor in as many as 7,500 road deaths in the EU every year, and approximately 20 percent of driver deaths are thought to be caused by drink driving.
Ireland has lowered its drink drive limit for commercial drivers to 0.02mg/100ml or lower.
Noel Brett of the Road Safety Authority said up to one in three deaths on Irish roads are work-related and the 'evidence indicates that a proportion of these are linked to drink driving'. He encouraged employers to take practical steps to reduce the risk of drink driving in the workplace, such as fitting alcohol interlocks in their company vehicles and implementing a 'driving for work' policy for their employees.
Superintendent Con O'Donohue of the Garda National Traffic Bureau said huge strides have been made in the last number of years to tackle drink driving in Ireland, including the introduction of Mandatory Alcohol Testing reduced drink drive limits and continued enforcement operations by Garda Traffic Corps at local regional and national level which, he added, have contributed to changing attitudes and behaviour to drink driving. He said an area of ongoing importance to An Garda Siochana is to reduce the risk of collisions among those who drive for a living and who take to the roads regularly as part of their work.
Mary Dorgan of the Health and Safety Authority said almost half of all workplace deaths reported to the HSA involve a vehicle and up to a third of deaths on the road involve a vehicle used for work. She said employers should manage intoxicant risk in the same way as any other workplace risk to worker health and safety.
The RSA and HSA have developed 'Driving for Work' guidelines for employers to manage road-related risk amonth their employess who drive as part of their work. Further information on 'Driving for Work' is available at www.rsa.ie and www.hsa.ie
Information on the ETSC's 'Safe and Sober' campaign is available at www.etsc.eu
