Drink driving in Ireland

Drinkaware strongly supports official guidance from the RSA and An Garda Síochána that any amount of alcohol will impair your driving and increases the risk of a collision. This is not an opinion, it is a scientific fact.

And still, a minority of people in Ireland continue to drink and drive. This makes our roads less safe for all road users.

Get the facts about drink driving, the law and penalties.

How long after drinking can I drive?

The time of your last drink at night will affect when it is safe for you to drive the following day. This means that there could still be alcohol in your system the morning after drinking.

Almost half of all arrests for driving under the influence of an intoxicant (DUI) take place between midnight and 6am. 1 in 10 DUI arrests are made between 8am and 2pm, with a peak on Sundays.

• • It takes a minimum of one hour to process one standard drink. This is a guide for information purposes only. Many factors will affect this time including age, gender, weight, alcohol strength, the speed of your metabolism and the number of drinks consumed.
  • Common examples of one standard drink include a half pint of beer/glass of wine (100ml) / pub measure of spirits (35.5ml).
  • There is nothing you can do to remove alcohol from your body any quicker, only time. Common myths are that drinking coffee, having a shower, eating a large breakfast or going for a run will sober you up. However, these are simply not true.
  • After you stop drinking, the alcohol levels in your system can continue to rise for up to 3 hours. If you feel unsure that you are able to drive safely, wait or use alternative transport options.

Try out our Drinks Calculator to see how many hours it could take for alcohol to leave your system (results show an estimate for education purposes only).

DRINK DRIVING LAW

The Road Traffic (Amendment) Act 2018 was introduced on 26 October 2018. The legislation did not change the legal limits for driving after having consumed alcohol.

It means that drink drivers will now lose their licence for three months at lower drink driving levels.

What is the drink driving limit in Ireland?

Ordinary fully licenced drivers detected by An Garda Síochána with a blood alcohol concentration (BAC) level of between 50mg and 80mg, will receive an automatic disqualification from driving of three months and a €200 fine.

The penalties for learner, novice and professional drivers remain the same.

Drinkaware was proud to support the collective campaign to introduce these stronger penalties for driving under the influence in Ireland.

DRINK DRIVING PENALTIES

Gardaí can carry out roadside breath testing to check drivers’ alcohol levels. The Road Traffic Act (2006) allows Gardaí to carry out breathalyser tests at mandatory alcohol checkpoints (random breath testing).

The penalties for driving with alcohol in your system vary depending on the type of driver and the concentration of alcohol.

If you hold a valid driving licence and your blood alcohol level is found to be below a certain threshold, you may be issued a fixed penalty notice. This will contain details of the fine you are required to pay.

Note that the fixed penalty notice applies to drivers with a valid licence, those with no drink driving offences in the previous three years, and additionally, the fine must be paid within 28 days.

WHAT ARE THE LEGAL LIMITS?

The legal drink driving limits for professional, learner and novice drivers are:

• 20 milligrammes of alcohol per 100ml of blood
• 27 milligrammes of alcohol per 100ml of urine or
• 9 microgrammes of alcohol per 100ml of breath.

The legal limits for fully licenced drivers in Category B are:

• 50 milligrammes of alcohol per 100ml of blood
• 67 milligrammes of alcohol per 100ml of urine or
• 22 microgrammes of alcohol per 100ml of breath.

DRINK DRIVING IN IRELAND

18 persons died on Irish roads during January 2023.  This is the largest death toll on Irish Roads during the month of January since 2013.

As of July 2024, 113 people have died on Irish roads. This is 17 more lives lost compared to the same period in 2023. A third of fatalities were 25 years old or younger.

These are much more than figures. Each number represents a life needlessly lost or a life changed forever.

In 2023 An Garda Síochána detected 8,863 drivers for Driving under the Influence Offences. Figures for 2024 have not yet been released.

Driver behaviours

Drinkaware’s 2023 Barometer research shows a high level of awareness of the dangers of driving having consumed alcohol among adults. However, there is a high figure of younger adults who are not aware of the dangers of drink driving.

The survey found that:

• • 86% of adults believe that any amount of alcohol impairs your ability to drive
  • 23% of younger adults (18-24 yrs.) do not believe that any amount of alcohol impairs your ability to drive.

New research presented by the Road Safety Authority (RSA) reveals that one in 10 Irish motorists have driven after consuming alcohol in the last 12 months.

Of those who admitted to consuming alcohol, the incidence was higher among male drivers (14%), those who drive for work (14%), and those with a history of collision involvement (24%).

Almost one in three (28%) of this group admitted to consuming two or more drinks on the last occasion they drove after consuming alcohol, in the last 12 months. This is especially worrying given the recent rise in road collisions on Irish roads resulting in both increases in serious injuries and deaths, with recent analysis from An Garda Síochána revealing the total number of arrests for driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs for 2023 was 8,863.

Attitudes towards drink driving

A Road Safety Authority survey shows that the public attitudes towards driving under the influence in Ireland have lessened in recent years:

• • Nearly three-quarters (73%) of motorists surveyed agreed that ‘most of my acquaintances/ friends think driving under the influence of alcohol is unacceptable’. This has decreased from 85% in 2019.

J1 Campaign

If you are planning on going on a J1 remember that a drink or drug driving conviction may stop you from going to the US on your J1.

The  J1 social media campaign is a joint campaign between RSA, USIT and An Garda Síochána to highlight the consequences of getting a drink or drug-driving conviction. Find out more about the J1 campaign.

Wrong side of the road

Drivers who are impaired by alcohol have a much higher risk of being involved in a crash. The Wrong Side of the Road website exists as part of a commitment to helping people understand the dangers of driving drunk worldwide.

Wrong Side of the Road is an educational project developed in collaboration between Diageo and the United Nations Institute for Training and Research (UNITAR). All stories are real, visit today to learn more.

Help to keep our roads safe. Never ever drink and drive.

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

Can I drive 12 hours after drinking?

When you are safe to drive after drinking depends on how many standard drinks you have consumed. It takes at least one hour per standard drink for alcohol to leave your system, and the time starts from when you have finished drinking.

For example, if you have consumed 4 standard drinks, it is recommended to wait at least 4 hours before driving. However, it is important to note that this is just a general guideline, and individual factors (including body weight, metabolism, and amount of alcohol consumed) can affect the length of time it takes for alcohol to be eliminated from the body.

There is nothing you can do to remove alcohol from your system any quicker, you must give your body the time it needs to process the alcohol.

Remember that any amount of alcohol can impair your driving.

Can you drink and drive in an emergency?

It is never, ever safe to drink and drive, in the instance of an emergency you should call 999. It is illegal to drive over the legal drink driving limits, regardless of the circumstances.

In the event of an emergency, it is recommended to use alternative means of transportation or seek assistance from an experienced driver.

Does a drink driving conviction stop you going to America?

A conviction for driving while over the legal limit can potentially affect your ability to enter the United States, as it is considered a criminal offence. It is possible that a person with drink driving convictions may be denied entry to the United States, particularly if the road traffic offence was recent, serious, or resulted in injury or death.

However, each case is evaluated individually and factors such as the severity of the offence, the length of time since the conviction, and the person’s overall criminal record may be taken into consideration.

How many standard drinks is the drink-driving limit? 

It’s not possible to say exactly how many standard drinks meet the drink-driving limits. This is because the limit is determined based on blood alcohol content.

The amount of alcohol that a person can consume and remain below the legal limit varies depending on a range of factors such as their weight, gender, metabolism, and the strength and amount of alcohol consumed.

It is always safest not to drink and drive, and to use alternative means of transportation or to seek the assistance of a designated driver or taxi service.

Can you drink and drive with non-alcoholic beer?

Non alcoholic beers contain trace amounts of alcohol which is typically less than 0.5% alcohol by volume (ABV).

While you can drink non-alcoholic beer and drive safely, it is still important to ensure your total consumption does not exceed safe limits and may even result in a positive breath or blood alcohol concentration test.

Be mindful that there are alcohol-free beers and low-alcohol beers, which are different types of drinks.

Are you covered by insurance if drink driving?

If you are caught driving under the influence of alcohol, it is a criminal offence, and driving while over the legal limit can void your insurance policy. Therefore, if you have an accident while driving under the influence, your insurance company may refuse to cover the damages and you could be held personally liable for any costs incurred.

You should carefully read the terms of your insurance policy for details of what you are covered for.

It is important to note that driving while under the influence of alcohol is not only illegal but also extremely dangerous and can result in serious injuries or fatalities. It is never worth the risk to drink and drive, and it is always safer to use alternative means of transportation.

As well as this, if convicted, your future insurance premiums may be more expensive, and you are required to inform potential insurers of a conviction.