Last year was the worst for fatalities on Irish roads since 2014, with 190 people killed. There have been 58 deaths on Irish roads to date this year.
Meanwhile, campaigners claim 37pc of drink-driving court cases fail to result in convictions.
Alcohol Action Ireland (AAI) has called for a dramatic increase in the number of tests being carried out.
AAI is to address the Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport about alcohol’s impact on road safety today, as it lobbies for increased spot breath-testing.
“Incredibly, the annual number of breath tests carried out in the last 15 years has plummeted as the number of drivers has skyrocketed,” AAI chief executive Dr Sheila Gilheany said.
“In 2010, the first full year for which there is breath-test data, there were 2,655,048 driving licences held in the country and 566,760 breath tests were carried out, resulting in 10,308 arrests for drink driving.
Alcohol Action Ireland wants more breath tests. Photo: PA
News in 90 seconds – Wednesday, May 13
“In 2025 there were 3,538,732 licences held but only 189,736 breath tests carried out, resulting in 4,867 arrests for drink driving.”
AAI said that in Australia, there is a target that every licensed driver should expect to be tested once a year.
Dr Gilheany said: “In Australia their level of driver fatalities with a positive alcohol toxicology is 14pc, compared with 35pc in Ireland.
“Alcohol is involved in over a third of driver deaths on our roads. Almost one in eight drivers [12pc] admit to drink driving in the past 12 months.
In 2021 just 18 tests per 1,000 inhabitants were carried out here
“That’s around 424,500 people a year, or 1,160 a day, taking a lethal weapon on to our roads after drinking.
“And the percentage of people admitting to drink driving is rising, up from 9pc in 2021.”
During the Christmas road safety campaign carried out by gardaí, from December 1 to January 5, 765 drivers were arrested for suspected drink driving.
AAI met with junior transport minister Seán Canney yesterday to discuss the issue.
“Rigorous and highly visible enforcement is crucial, and random breath testing is central to this,” Dr Gilheany said.
“Road Safety Authority data shows three in four people deem it ‘unlikely’ or ‘very unlikely’ to be breath-tested on a typical journey – and they are right. Ireland has the lowest level of roadside breath testing in the EU.
Junior transport minister Seán Canney. Photo: Brian Lawless
“In 2021 just 18 tests per 1,000 inhabitants were carried out here. In France that figure was 109 and the league was topped by Estonia with a rate of 576 tests.”
AAI also called for the time window for taking blood samples following an incident to be extended from three to 12 hours, especially when long distances to hospitals are involved.
It argued vehicles should be impounded following a failed breath test.
A spokesperson for the Department of Transport said: “Enforcement of road traffic laws is the responsibility of An Garda Síochána.
“The Department of Transport works closely with An Garda Síochána on road safety and welcomes any measures that increase the level of enforcement on our roads.”