Irish Drink Driving Laws

Drink Driving

Section 4 of the Road Traffic Act 2010, has introduced new drink drive limits. It also provides for seperate penalties for two different categories of drivers. First category, experienced drivers and second category, people on learner permits or who have held their full licence for less than two years and professional drivers.
The new lower limits are:-
50 mgs of alcohol per 100 mls of blood for experienced drivers
20 mgs of alcohol per 100 mls of blood for other drivers

If you hold a valid licence/permit at the time of the offence and your alcohol level is below a certain limit, you will be issued with a fixed penalty notice. If you pay the fine stated on the notice within 28 days, the additional penalty stated on the notice will be imposed but you will not have to go to court. You are not eligible for a drink driving fixed penalty notice if you have received a similar notice within the previous 3 years. The alcohol limits and penalties applied under the fixed penalty notice scheme are as set out below:

A person shall not drive or attempt to drive a mechanically propelled vehicle in a public place while he or she is under the influence of an intoxicant to such an extent as to be incapable of having proper control of the vehicle.
An offence of driving or attempting to drive a mechanically propelled vehicle in a public place while there is present in your body a quantity of alcohol such that, within 3 hours after so driving or attempting to drive, the concentration of alcohol in your blood exceeds a concentration of:


Driver Type	Concentration of alcohol	Fine	Additional penalty
Experienced Drivers	Not exceeding 80mg of alcohol per 100ml of blood	€200	3 penalty points
Experienced drivers	Exceeding 80mg but not exceeding 100mg of alcohol per 100ml of blood	€400	6 months disqual- ification
Learner, Professional & new drivers	For a blood-alcohol level of 20mg-80mg per 100ml of blood	€200	3 months disqual- ification

If you have to go to court the disqualification periods for drink driving convictions are as follows:

Concentration of alcohol	First offence (period of disqual- ification)	Second offence (period of disqual- ification)
Not exceeding 80mg of alcohol per 100ml of blood	6 months	1 Year
Exceeding 80mg but not exceeding 100mg of alcohol per 100ml of blood	1 year	2 years
Exceeding 100mg but not exceeding 150mg of alcohol per 100ml of blood	2 year	4 yesrs
Exceeding 150mg of alcohol per 100ml of blood	3 year	6 years

Equivalent Tables
Blood Alcohol Level	Urine Alcohol Concentration	Breath Alcohol Concentration
20 milligrammes	27 milligrammes	09 microgrammes
50 milligrammes	67 milligrammes	22 microgrammes
81 mg - 100 mg	107 - 135 mg	35 - 44
101 mg - 150 mg	136 - 200 mg	45 - 66
151 mg or above	201 or above	67 or above

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