A THIRD of all motorists killed in road crashes in the Republic had been drinking, latest figures show.
Transport Minister Shane Ross, who wants a blanket ban for all drink-drivers, said the findings prove the Republic's unhealthy relationship with drink is "spilling onto our roads".
The figures show the vast majority who had been drinking before driving are men.
The examination of toxicology reports for 2014 - the latest available complete records of road traffic victims - found:
:: Some 33 per cent of drivers, of both cars and motorcycles, who died in crashes that year tested positive for alcohol.
:: Motorcyclists were more likely to have tested positive than car drivers.
:: More than a quarter of pedestrians killed on the road had drink in their systems.
The average age of victims with alcohol taken was 38 years while car drivers were likely to have taken more drink than motorcyclists.
