The Health Research Board (HRB) collect Road Traffic Collision (RTC) fatalities data annually on behalf of the Road Safety Authority (RSA) from closed coronial files, using the National Drug Related Deaths Index (NDRDI) methodology. To date, the RSA has access to data from closed coronial files for RTC fatalities that occurred in 2013-2017. This report focuses on road user fatalities who had a positive toxicology for alcohol at the time of the fatal collision. This was confirmed where the deceased had a Blood Alcohol Concentration (BAC) >20mg alcohol per 100ml blood (or equivalent in urine). There was a toxicology result available for 600 of the 705 RTC fatalities (85.1%) captured in the 2013-2017 coronial data. Of the 600 RTC fatalities with a toxicology result available, 36.5% (n = 219) had a positive toxicology for alcohol. This report first focuses on the 219 road user fatalities with a positive toxicology for alcohol. It then examines driver and motorcycle driver (‘driver’) fatalities with a positive toxicology for alcohol (n = 135) in further detail.

1.2 Key findings

Of the 219 road user fatalities with a positive toxicology for alcohol:

• 86% were male
• 76% were 150mg/ml
• 65% took place between 9pm-6am
• 60% took place on Saturday-Monday
• 72% took place on rural roads (≥80km/h speed limit)

Of the 135 driver fatalities with a positive toxicology for alcohol:

• 77% were driving a car, 16% a motorcycle, and 7% a goods vehicle (heavy or light)
• 92% were male
• 82% were 150mg/ml
• 61% took place between 9pm-6am
• 64% took place on Saturday-Monday
• 79% took place on rural roads (≥80km/h speed limit)
• 70% were single vehicle collisions
• As a result of the 135 fatal collisions, 146 people died and 72 were injured

Of the driver fatalities with records available:

• 54% were not wearing a seatbelt
• 50% lost control, 44% went to the wrong side of the road and 33% exceeded a safe speed
• 17% had an issue with their vehicle’s tyres reported on inspection