Cork Road Safety Working Together Group Local Road Safety Plan
Of the drivers/motorcycle drivers killed who had a positive toxicology for alcohol, the vast majority 92% were male and 82% were under 45 years of age. Garda detections (Jan – Sept 2018-2021), show that 87% of drivers arrested for driving under the influence of drink or drugs were men.
Provisional figures released by An Garda Síochána state that 104,803 breath tests were conducted countrywide in 2020 6 resulting in 8,069 motorists being detected driving while intoxicated. (These figures are subject to an ongoing review).
Seat Belts A 2020 Behavioural and Attitudinal survey carried out on behalf of the Road Safety Authority found that: 97% of motorists surveyed use a seat belt when they are driving. 97% use a seat belt when they are a front passenger. 84% use a seat belt when they are a rear passenger. 40% of driver fatalities were found not to be wearing a seatbelt
Despite this high level of compliance, provisional Garda figures for 2020 show that one in four killed were not wearing a seat belt.
An analysis of provisional collision data carried out by the Road Safety Authority from 2017 to 2020 shows that 10% of vehicle occupants seriously injured in road traffic collisions were not wearing a seatbelt. Separate research has also shown that rates for not wearing a seat belt increases when alcohol has been consumed. Over the period 2008 to 2012 of the 196 drivers killed who had not been wearing a seat belt, 57% were recorded as having consumed alcohol prior to the crash. In the case of passengers, of the 174 who had not been wearing a seat belt, 50% were recorded as having consumed alcohol prior to the collision 7 .
The National Drugs Related Deaths Index (NDRDI) report 2013-2017 found that 9 out of 10 driver fatalities, not wearing a seatbelt were men.
6 https://www.garda.ie/en/roads-policing/statistics/previous-years-roads-policing- statistics/overview-2020.html 7 RSA Fatal Collisions 2008-2012 Alcohol As a Factor Report 1 st June 2016
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