More than 2,700 drink-driving offences were recorded in Northern Ireland in the past year, prompting fresh warnings to motorists ahead of St Patrick’s Day celebrations.

Road safety campaigners say drivers should be particularly wary of the “morning after” effect, when alcohol from the night before can still leave them over the legal limit.

Official figures show there were 2,763 drink-driving offences recorded in Northern Ireland in the 12 months to November, highlighting that alcohol remains a significant factor in road safety incidents.

During the PSNI’s recent Christmas drink-drive enforcement campaign, officers carried out around 5,200 roadside breath tests, with more than 7% of motorists either failing the test or refusing to provide a sample.

In total, 288 people were arrested - with Belfast City once again recording the highest number of drink-drive arrests (56).

“Many people assume that if they’ve had a good night’s sleep they will automatically be safe to drive the next morning, but that’s simply not the case,” said Hunter Abbott, Managing Director of breathalyser firm AlcoSense.

“Alcohol is processed slowly by the body. Even if you feel fine the next day, you could still be over the legal limit and impaired.”

Research shows that at the legal drink-drive limit in Northern Ireland, a driver is around 13 times more likely to be involved in a fatal collision than when completely sober.

AlcoSense is urging people celebrating St Patrick’s Day to plan ahead. Options include arranging a lift home, taking a taxi or public transport, or choosing a designated driver who will not drink.

“If you’re unsure whether you’re safe to drive the next morning, the only way to know for certain is to use a personal breathalyser,” added Abbott.

“St Patrick’s Day should be about celebrating with friends and family. No one wants those celebrations to end in tragedy.”

Drivers caught over the limit in Northern Ireland can face up to six months in prison, a fine of up to £5,000 and a driving ban of at least 12 months.

The government’s consultation to reduce the legal drink-drive limit in England and Wales has been welcomed by road safety campaigners.

The proposals are backed by research showing that even small amounts of alcohol significantly increase crash risk. A key study found that drivers with a breath alcohol level of 22 micrograms per 100 millilitres of breath (µg/100mL) are eight times less likely to be involved in a fatal crash than those at the current limit of 35 micrograms.

The legal limit in Scotland was reduced to 22 micrograms in 2014.

“But England and Wales remain an outlier with the highest legal drink-drive limit in the developed world,” says Hunter Abbott, managing director of personal breathalyser firm, AlcoSense Laboratories.

“This means we have drivers who are ‘legal but lethal’ on our roads. The evidence is clear - even modest reductions in blood alcohol concentration significantly lower crash risk.

“It would be a simple, effective step towards saving lives and would bring England and Wales in line with international standards.

A survey carried out by AlcoSense in December 2024 to mark the 10th anniversary of the limit being reduced in Scotland found that 79% of Scots believe it has made roads safer. A similar number (77%) think England and Wales should follow suit and 40% report drinking less overall.

“The Scottish data shows that lowering the limit reshapes behaviour,” adds Mr Abbott, who is also a member of the Parliamentary Advisory Council for Transport Safety (PACTS).

“Fewer people drink when they know they will drive and millions avoid risky decisions altogether.

“The UK once led the way on road safety with the first roadside breath test in 1967. We are now lagging behind. In 2026 there is no excuse for laws that allow impaired drivers on our roads”.

The latest government figures underline the urgency of reform. In 2023, a total of 260 people were killed in drink drive crashes – with 6,310 casualties overall. After years of decline, progress has now stalled. Fatalities have hovered above 200 for nearly a decade.

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7 January 2026

Source: “Drugs and Alcohol: Their Relative Crash Risk” by Romano, Torres-Saavedra, Voas, and Lacey (2014)

Drink-Drive Limit Reduction “Overdue but Welcome”

The government’s long-awaited proposal to lower the drink-drive limit in England and Wales is a welcome and overdue move, according to Hunter Abbott, Managing Director of AlcoSense Laboratories and member of the Parliamentary Advisory Council for Transport Safety (PACTS).

Labour plans to reduce the legal limit from 80mg of alcohol per 100ml of blood (0.80‰ BAC) to 50mg (0.50‰ BAC), bringing England and Wales into line with Scotland and much of Europe.

Writing on Road Safety GB Abbott says campaigners have warned for years that the English and Welsh limit is dangerously out of step with modern science and international best practice.

“At 80mg, a driver is around 13 times more likely to be involved in a fatal crash than someone sober. These are the ‘legal but lethal’ drivers we share our roads with,” he explained.

Even at the proposed new limit, drivers are still five times more likely to be involved in a fatal crash than when sober. Abbott argues that England and Wales should ultimately aim for a 20mg limit, as adopted by countries such as Sweden, Norway, Poland and - imminently - Spain.

“A 20mg threshold strikes the right balance,” he says. “It is below the point of intoxication, prevents impairment, and aligns with international best practice.”

Opponents often point to Scotland, claiming that its 2014 change had no measurable impact on casualties. But a 2024 AlcoSense survey, marking the tenth anniversary of the law, found that 79% of Scots believe it has made roads safer, 77% want England and Wales to follow suit and 40% report drinking less overall.

“The data shows that lowering the limit reshapes behaviour,” Abbott explains. “Fewer people drink when they know they will drive, and millions avoid risky decisions altogether.”

The latest government figures underline the urgency of reform. In 2023, 260 people were killed in drink-drive crashes, with 6,310 casualties in total. Progress has stalled: fatalities have hovered above 200 for nearly a decade.

Abbott insists the limit change must be paired with further measures, including more post-crash testing (currently just 37% of drivers are breathalysed, down from 51% a decade ago), random roadside checks (standard across Europe, but not in the UK) and stronger public education.

“At AlcoSense, we focus on helping people make safe decisions the ‘morning after’, when alcohol can remain in the system long after drinking. Our mission is to prevent dangerous guesswork, not to help people drink up to a limit,” adds Abbott.

“The UK once led the way on road safety with the first roadside breath test in 1967. We are now lagging behind. In 2025, there is no excuse for laws that allow impaired drivers on our roads. Reducing the limit will save lives - and that, surely, is reason enough.”