Number of road deaths lowest in 37 years

THE number of people killed on the roads last year was the lowest in 37 years, figures released yesterday revealed.

Welcoming the 18% cut in the number of road deaths to 379, Transport Minister Séamus Brennan pledged to introduce new strategies and tougher enforcement measures to further reduce fatalities and injuries.

The figures also showed that more than 1,200 people were arrested on suspicion of drink driving over the Christmas period, slightly down on last year. Garda HQ said a total of 1,261 people were arrested for drink driving offences since the start of the Christmas crackdown on November 28. This compares to 1,337 over the same period last year.