A county-by-county breakdown of road fatalities involving alcohol has been released today, with Cork the worst offender.
The 2008-2012 figures, from a new Road Safety Authority report, are the latest numbers available because of operational reasons.
They show that more than 10% of alcohol-related road deaths occurred in Co Cork, compared to less than 1% in Carlow and Waterford.
The report found that 38% of the 983 fatal collisions on Irish roads during that period involved alcohol.
Some 81% of alcohol-related collisions happened in rural areas.
Speaking at the launch of the report today, Transport Minister Shane Ross said that there may need to be more Garda checkpoints to cut down on traffic offences.
“It means that we have to ask ourselves a question about whether the road safety strategy is faltering, certainly in this respect, in respect of alcohol,” he said.
“It means that we have to ask the question ‘Are there enough Garda checkpoints?’
“And it also means that I in Government have to ask the question whether the laws are tough enough, whether they’re right, whether they’re appropriate.”
Percentage of all alcohol-related fatalities by county:
Cork – 10.6%
Galway – 9.7%
Dublin – 7.9%
Donegal – 7.6%
Cavan – 5.5%
Limerick – 5.5%
Mayo – 5.2%
Kildare – 4.8%
Meath – 4.5%
Wexford – 4.5%
Tipperary – 4.2%
Kerry – 3.6%
Laois – 3.3%
Roscommon – 3.3%
Louth – 3.0%
Monaghan – 2.4%
Sligo – 2.1%
Longford – 1.8%
Offaly – 1.8%
Kilkenny – 1.5%
Westmeath – 1.5%
Clare – 1.2%
Leitrim – 1.2%
Wicklow – 1.2%
Carlow – 0.9%
Waterford – 0.9%
