286 people killed over five years in alcohol carnage on our roads
Almost half of all pedestrians killed on the roads had consumed alcohol at the time of their deaths, a new report reveals.
New research shows that alcohol played a role in four in every 10 fatal road collisions over a five-year period, resulted in the deaths of 286 people and left another 69 with serious injuries.
The 'Fatal Collisions 2008-2012 - Alcohol as a Factor' report from the Road Safety Authority (RSA) examined 867 fatal collisions to determine the role that alcohol played.
It found that almost half of all pedestrians (49pc) had consumed alcohol before they died. Some fell asleep on the road or wandered onto the carriageway.
Some 9pc of all fatal collisions involved a pedestrian who had consumed alcohol.
The high prevalence of alcohol in fatalities was described as "shocking" by Transport Minister Shane Ross, who questioned the effectiveness of gardaí and the RSA in dealing with the issue of drink-driving.
Source: Paul Melia, Irish Independent, 02/06/16