Drunk Driving Permits Approved In Ireland
Kerry County, Ireland – Please don’t let this shake your faith in the wisdom of local government.
County councillors in Ireland approved a motion that would allow local police to issue what apparently amounts to drunk driving permits for people who have imbibed the equivalent of two or three drinks.
According to Danny Healy-Rae, the the lawmaker who proposed the motion, the permit would apply to mostly older persons who are suffering from depression because they are isolated at home out in the country with no social life.
The motion passed yesterday by a vote of 5-3.
Councillor Healy-Rae explained his proposal to The Journal:
“A lot of these people are living in isolated rural areas where there’s no public transport of any kind, and they end up at home looking at the four walls, night in and night out, because they don’t want to take the risk of losing their license.”
Kerrry County Mayor Terry O’Brien had an alternative view according to the BBC: “It is incredibly dangerous. I don’t know how anybody can be allowed to say: ‘You’ve had two pints, so you’re justified to drive.’ ”
The Journal website reports that seven councillors abstained from voting on the motion and another 12 weren’t even in the room. It will be up to Ireland’s justice department to implement the council’s proposal assuming it doesn’t get reversed. The BBC notes that some of the councillors voting yes were pub owners.
Kerry County is located in southwest Ireland. According to the BBC, almost “almost one in three crash deaths in Ireland is alcohol-related.”
Councillor Healy-Rae claims that in rural sections of Ireland, the pub is the only social outlet for constituents to interact with friends and neighbors of all ages.
Do you think this is a suitable and/or harmless justification for a so-called drunk driving permit or to relax the legal limit for drunk driving?
Tags : County Kerry, Danny Healy-Rae, drunk driivng permit Ireland, drunk driving, drunk driving Ireland, drunk driving permits, Ireland drunk driving permits, Kerry County, moderate drunk driving
Posted: January 22, 2013
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Jan 22, 2013
What no Scotch or Irish whiskey…
Jan 22, 2013
Gotta love the Irish!
Jan 22, 2013
There is just no way this can POSSIBLY go wrong.
Jan 23, 2013
Bring back horses.
Jan 23, 2013
Wouldn't a pub shuttle be a better idea?
Jan 23, 2013
What would BILL CLINTON say!
Jan 23, 2013
ill drink to that!
Jan 23, 2013
yes, instead of just endangering themselves, other motorists, and property, let's throw innocent animals into the mix as well!
Jan 23, 2013
Strictly assinine. Leave it to the Irish (and I'm 3rd Irish). Very irresponsible. Better yet, why don't they hire or sign on volunteers to be designated drivers to escort these isolated, loney alcoholics to and from the pub. It would be a win win situation. But to allow them to drive inebriated is totally a wreckless idea and an accident waiting to happen. They could seriously injure themselves or even run into a building or animal. WRONG! It's very wrong.
Jan 23, 2013
2 to 3 pints? Who is impaired after 2 to 3 pints? No Irishman, that's for damn sure!
Jan 23, 2013
Patrick Langille
Jan 23, 2013
OMG! Common sense and empathy from a politician! Is the world going crazy? By the way, most of the roads in County Kerry are barely a lane and a half wide. Posted speed limits are usually 30 km/h or less.
Jan 23, 2013
Last time I was in County Kerry, I actually saw men engaged in road bowling. Allowing drivers there to drink and drive ought to liven up the road bowling.
Jan 23, 2013
Drunk drivers are responsible for 35% of all car wrecks. The remaining 65% are sober. Does that make sense to you..
Jan 23, 2013
It either means that you think there are an equal number of drunks on the road in Ireland as there are sober drivers and, in your opinion, this means that people who are drunk drive safer or, if we look at reality, it means that 35% of car wrecks are related to drunk driving and 65% aren't. Without numbers further than that guesses as to anything else is kind of silly.
Jan 23, 2013
are any of you from Ireland, or are you all just typical Americans imposing your culture on another country?
Apr 7, 2013
Taxi would come to mind on this one