315 arrested for drink driving over Easter weekend

A TOTAL of 315 people were arrested for drink-driving offences over the Easter Bank Holiday weekend, according to figures from An Garda Síochána.

The highest number of Section 49 arrests was in Louth/Meath, with 24, closely followed by 23 people arrested in the Dublin Metropolitan South region and 22 in the Dublin Metropolitan West area.

The lowest number of arrests came in the Dublin Metropolitan East area, with just two, and Roscommon/Galway East, which saw five people arrested.

On average, there was more than 12 arrests spread across each of the 25 divisions nationally, with the figures compiled up until 6am yesterday.

The acting Chief Executive Officer of the National Safety Council, Noel Brett, said the figures were worrying as the anti-drink driving message did not seem to be getting through to all motorists.

“First of all, those arrests come against the backdrop of the Taoiseach appealing to people not to drink and drive and a strong campaign aimed at road users acting responsibly, plus we have the new penalty points offences and a high-profile garda enforcement campaign,” he said.

“In that context it is depressing that 315 people still stand accused of impaired driving. That people would put themselves in that position is indefensible and utterly depressing.”

However, he welcomed the figures in terms of showing people that drink driving was now unacceptable in the eyes of society.

“I am sure those 315 people will think again about drink-driving,” he said.

Mr Brett claimed visible garda enforcement would continue to have an effect in deterring would-be drink drivers from getting behind the wheel after consuming alcohol. A total of 21 people lost their lives over Easter Bank Holiday weekends from 2001 to 2005, but this weekend’s road fatality figure of nine was the highest in six years.

A 71-year-old man was killed on Monday night after he was struck by a car at Lisseycasey, while a man in his 20s was killed yesterday morning following a head-on collision seven kilometres outside Tralee on the Castleisland Road at Ballycarthy Cross.

The most serious single accident was that at Goggin’s Hill near Cork City on Friday night when four Polish nationals were killed.

Mr Brett said he contacted the Polish Embassy yesterday morning to discuss new methods of informing foreign drivers about acceptable road behaviour.

The other embassies of the EU accession countries have also been contacted and were instrumental in the translating of new ‘rules of the road’ leaflets in 16 languages launched earlier this year by Transport Minister Martin Cullen.

Mr Brett said he would be seeking a face-to-face meeting with representatives of the Polish Embassy in the weeks to come.