Garda Christmas campaign to target drink-driving

DRINK driving, speeding, seat belt compliance and pedestrians safety will be the primary targets of the garda Christmas campaign which will operate for a six week period from November 27.

Gardaí made an average 270 arrests per week during last year’s campaign.

There has been a 15% increase in drink driving incidents recorded so far this year when compared to the same period in 2004.

“While all road traffic offences will be targeted, the focus of the campaign will be on the four areas which are proven to significantly affect road safety. However, it is our firm belief that those primarily responsible for making Irish roads safer are road users,” the gardaí stated yesterday.

Each Garda district has enforcement plans in place, tailor-made to the specific issues, in each area.

“Garda enforcement strategies are not devised ‘on the hoof’, but are the result of close analysis and evaluation of all the pertinent matters,” the gardaí stated.

Garda analysis of trends in collisions show approximately 30% of road fatalities occur between 10pm and 4am; a disproportionate number of young male drivers are being killed on our roads, particularly at weekends; trends in driving while intoxicated show approximately 70% of these incidents occur between 10pm and 4am and alcohol continues to be a major contributory factor, in terms of fatalities and serious injuries on our roads.

Just under half of all road deaths occur on the national road network which accounts for approximately 47% of vehicular traffic and 91% of fatal collisions on the national road network occur on single carriageways.

35% of all speed related fatal collisions occur on national roads and these same roads account for 30% of all speed related injury collisions.

Urban national roads account for 9% of speed related collisions, garda statistics show.