An anti-drink driving device inside the car itself would be a “brilliant idea”, according to a motorist. 

Some new models of cars include a breathalyzer and if the driver fails to pass the test, the car will simply refuse to start. 

Occasionally politicians consider whether they should be compulsory in all new vehicles but Newstalk Breakfast reporter Henry McKean found views on the subject were decidedly mixed. 

“I think it’s a symbol of a nanny state,” one motorist told him. 

“So, no, I wouldn’t be in favour… I don’t drink and drive but I don’t like the idea of the car being out of order, immobilised. 

“If there was someone in the back seat or somebody beside you in the front seat and they had had too much, maybe the device would pick that up?”

Others were far more receptive, with one woman telling Henry she thought it was a “great idea” even if she had doubts about its efficacy. 

“You probably shouldn’t be getting in the car with any alcohol on you,” she said. 

“But if someone is intending to drink, will they actually want that in their car?”

Road safety

Another woman said she was extremely worried about the rising number of fatalities on the roads and thought a mandatory breathalyzer might help. 

“There should be something like that,” she said. 

“Because no one is going into the shop and paying a tenner for the self-breathalyser anymore. 

“Especially with the rise in accidents, it’s just dangerous for the person driving and the people around us as well.” 

Garda at the scene of a road crash: AG News/Alamy Live News

Similarly, another motorist said he felt it would send a strong message about drink driving. 

“It’s a good idea, brilliant idea,” he said. 

“I think the German makes have them; you breathe in and the car won’t start unless they get a negative reading.

“Anything that gives a zero tolerance - and I mean zero tolerance - of drink driving, yes, absolutely.” 

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Main image: A driver using a breathalyzer. Picture by: Alamy.com