"Irish road safety has been something of a success story in recent years. Fatalities are down by 42 percent in the last decade. However, we still have a long way to go to make our roads the safe environments that they should be and this is evident in the findings of the AA poll." Says Director of Policy at the AA, Conor Faughnan.
The survey revealed that just four percent felt completely safe, 59.9 percent felt somewhat safe, 17.5 percent felt somewhat unsafe and just two percent felt very unsafe when asked how safe they feel on the road. Motorists felt most safe on motorways, with secondary roads and late night driving causing apprehension for drivers. Fear of encountering a drink-driver, being intimidated by tailgating or dangerous manoeuvres are also on-going concerns for motorists.
The AA survey also found that drink driving was a problem in the past but that Irish society is changing its habits and eradicating the behaviour. Men were far more likely to drive after more than two drinks compared to women. "Drinking and driving is still with us, but there is strong evidence that motorists are improving their behaviour overall." Says Faughnan.
The recent 2010 Road Traffic Bill proposes to reduce Ireland's alcohol limit from 80mg to 50mg, along with a lower 20mg-limit for learner and professional drivers.
The AA Motorists Panel Survey was carried out in July 2010 and 6,700 Irish motorists participated.
Click here to read our news article on the proposed reduced drink-drive limit.
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