Most people view drink driving as unacceptable.

Yet new research highlighted by the Gardaí ahead of the June bank holiday weekend shows that a shocking number of motorists are still taking to the roads while under the influence.

At least 78 people have been killed or seriously injured in June bank holiday collisions since 2016.

Alcohol remains the most prevalent intoxicant detected in drivers and research shows that 11% of fatal collisions, in which a driver had consumed alcohol, occurred between 7am and 11am.

Despite this, new research released by the Road Safety Authority (RSA) has found that a quarter of drivers surveyed agreed that there were times when they may have been over the drink driving limit when driving the morning after a night out.

The Driver Attitudes & Behaviour Survey carried out in December 2020, also found that overall, 9% of motorists admit to consuming alcohol before driving in the past twelve months, with the figure higher amongst men (12%) than women (5%).

The figures are being published ahead of the June Bank Holiday Weekend as An Garda Síochána, the RSA and the Medical Bureau of Road Safety appeal to all road users not to drink and drive.

How much can I drink?

“There is no hard and fast rule about when it is safe to drive the morning after if you have been drinking the previous night.” explains Sam Waide, CEO of the RSA.

“But motorists should allow at least one hour per standard drink for the alcohol to clear their system. A standard drink is a half-pint, a small glass of wine or a standard measure of spirits. Also, if drinking at home, you may be unknowingly consuming larger measures and therefore increasing the risk that you are unsafe to drive the following morning.

“The key is never to take chances, don’t risk it, you could end up losing your licence or worse.”