For the best part of a century, drink driving laws have been a feature of our legislation. In those days, it was up to the courts to determine whether someone was indeed drunk while driving. So in the late 1970s, the blood alcohol limit was reduced to a still considerable 100mg. Invariably, those caught drunk driving are not just a motorist who chanced having one drink, but went over the limit. When a drunk driver appears in court, any previous conviction for driving under the influence is supposed to be taken into account in the punishment.

Source: Irish Independent February 16, 2026 17:36 UTC