The Road Safety Authority (RSA) is looking to bring in new measures to combat drink-driving among young people and in rural areas.
The body says drivers who have been convicted of drink-driving may have to take their test again.
Paul Melia is environment editor at the Irish Independent.
He says the message here is that a license is hard to get, but easy to lose.
Under new proposals, drivers who are caught drink-driving could face an automatic disqualification, and then do a two-day behavioural course on the effects of drink-driving.
But they could then have to re-sit their test.
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Paul Melia is environment editor at the Irish Independent.
“The thinking being that basically, if you’re put off the road it would be such a pain to get back on the road by having to do the test all over again , that it might make people think”, he told the Pat Kenny Show here on Newstalk.
“There is this kind of sense that first of there isn’t police out on the road – so you’re not going to be caught – and then if you are caught, and you’re just a little bit over the limit you’ll be fine.”
“There needs to be more sticks and less carrots for people.”
The number of road deaths so far this year is up 13 – 86 people have been killed on Irish roads.
Melia says young drivers will be particularly targeted.
“It’s not that they’ve had a couple of pints and driven home where they might be a little bit over the limit, it’s that they’re way over the limit – and they’re completely unable to control their car.”