Alcohol remained the most frequently detected intoxicant in drivers. The median alcohol level in blood was 142mg/100ml and in urine was 194mg/100ml when the 59% of specimens with no trace of alcohol were excluded. These figures have sadly changed very little over the past decade. Alcohol intoxicated driving thus remains a very real and 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 learner, novice and professional or heavy vehicle driver.

For intoxicants other than alcohol, the three most commonly detected drugs in 2024 were again cannabis, cocaine and benzodiazepines. The mean level of cannabis found in samples was 6.2ng/ml and of cannabis THC acid was 49.4ng/ml. The mean level of cocaine was 120.3ng/ml and of benzoylecgonine was 749.7ng/ml. These levels are multiples of the set legal limits and continue to reflect the high levels found in drug intoxicated drivers which, like alcohol intoxication, are a major contributory factor to road traffic collisions.