Alcohol remained the most frequently detected intoxicant in drivers. The median alcohol level in blood was 153mg/100ml and in urine was 196mg/100ml when specimens with no trace of alcohol were excluded. These figures have sadly changed very little over the past 10 years. Alcohol intoxicated driving thus remains a very significant danger on Irish roads with many drivers driving when several times over the legal limits for the different categories of driver, including the lower limits set for the specified drivers (learner, novice and professional or heavy vehicle driver).

For drug intoxicants other than alcohol, the three most commonly detected drugs in 2023 were again cannabis, cocaine and benzodiazepines. The mean level of cannabis found in samples was 6.3ng/ml and of cannabis THC acid was 58.2ng/ml. The mean level of cocaine was 60.5ng/ml and of benzoylecgonine was 1032.9ng/ml. These levels are significantly in excess of the legal limits reflecting the high levels found in drug intoxicated drivers which, like alcohol intoxication, are a major contributory factor to road traffic collisions.