Almost 800 arrested for drink driving last month

Almost 800 people were arrested in Ireland over a four-week period for drink driving, with 12,858 breath tests carried out in the same period.

Despite reduced traffic for certain periods over Christmas, the numbers detected for driving under the influence has remained high.

Gardaí say it arrested 790 drivers for driving while intoxicated during the period from December 4 to January 5.

Ten fatalities occurred on Irish roads during the same period, which is down six when compared to the same dates in 2019.

In 2020 there were a total of 148 fatalities on Irish roads. This compares with 140 in 2019, a six per cent increase.

Nine people have lost their lives on our roads to date in 2021.

The figures were gathered during An Garda Síochána’s Christmas and New Year road safety campaign, which it says had a primary focus detecting those who drive having consumed alcohol or drugs.

It also placed emphasis on detecting motorists driving over the speed limit.

In total, Gardaí and GoSafe checked 186,125 vehicles and detected 892 vehicles speeding.

Assistant Commissioner Paula Hilman, Roads Policing and Community Engagement Bureau continues to appeal to all road users to remember the basics of road safety.

She says: “The message is clear, never drive if you are under the influence of alcohol or drugs, or a combination of both.

“We also ask that drivers increase their compliance with speed limits in order to lower speed related collisions. This will reduce injuries on our roads and save lives.”