Ireland has some of the highest rates DUI rates in Europe, a new study has shown.

The European Traffic Police Network (Tispol) tested almost one million motorists across Europe over a one-week period in June.

Some 17,705 alcohol offences and 1,636 drug offences were detected across 20 countries, including Ireland.

The detection rate in Ireland for DUI’s was the highest among the countries surveyed and more than seven times the European average.
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More than 13 percent of those tested were above the legal drink-driving limit compared to the European average of just two percent.

The drug-driving rate for the Republic of Ireland was 0.6 percent, while the European average was 0.2 percent.

In total 1,538 drivers were stopped at checkpoints in Ireland, some 205 were found to be DUI.
In stark contrast out of the 37,000 drivers tested in Finland a mere 96 were found to be over the legal limit.

Speaking about the results, Chief Superintendent Pasi Kemppainen, chairman of TISPOL’s strategic alcohol and drugs working group, said: “Drink driving remains one of the top three killers on Europe’s roads. Police officers across Europe put a great deal of time and effort into enforcing the law, with the intention of showing motorists that drink and drug-driving is not just unacceptable and anti-social, but also a serious danger to other road users.”