Limerick drink driving up by 20%

THE head of the Limerick garda division has expressed his shock at the 20% increase in the number of motorists stopped for drink driving in Limerick this year.

Chief Supt Willie Keane: “This means that we have had approximately 100 more people detected this year for drink driving over and above the same period in 2004.”

He said there had been around 600 drink driving arrests in the first 11 months of 2005, compared to 500 last year.

Chief Supt Keane said: “That is a huge increase. We have one of the higher increases in the country. It is a significant increase.”

He said the increase showed people were still not getting the message about the dangers of driving with drink taken.

Chief Supt Keane said: “This is worrying. The message is a simply, if you drink, don’t drive. I want to get the message out there over the Christmas, expect to see more gardaí and if you drink and drive, you run a very high risk of being stopped.

“Apart from being stopped at all it is the risk to yourself and others you have to bear in mind.”

He said there had been 14 fatal road accidents in the Limerick garda divisional area this year.

“It’s 14 too many. All I say to people abide by the rules, they are there for all. If you do you’ll have no worries about the guards. You will have no worries about going out,” he said.

Chief Supt Keane also issued a warning for people, particularly in rural areas, to be on the lookout for highly mobile gangs moving around the country looking for houses which are vacant to burgle them.

He said: “If you see a strange vehicle in your area whose occupants may arouse your suspicions, take the number and pass it on to the gardaí.”