Public ‘backs stiffer penalties for drink drivers’

STIFFER penalties to tackle drink drivers have massive public support, according to research out today.

More people want to see roadside breath testing stepped up than favoured such measures in a 2002 survey by the National Safety Council.

A spokesperson for the agency said: “It shows there is a huge appetite now among the public to see greater enforcement and stiffer penalties for people convicted of drink driving offences.”

Transport Minister Martin Cullen will today spell out plans to halt the country’s spiralling road carnage when he launches a summer safety initiative.

Since the start of the year, 163 people have lost their lives on our roads — 10 more than for the same period in 2005.

Nine-out-of-10 road deaths can be directly linked to irresponsible driver behaviour, according to Mr Cullen, who is launching the summer Arrive Alive road safety advertising campaign ahead of next weekend’s bank holiday.

Meanwhile, the gardaí are launching a major offensive to improve a compliance culture among all road users, the Garda Press Office has announced.

Operation Safeguard, which is to run from June 10-15, will particularly target seat-belt wearing, excessive speed and drink driving.

Gardaí will also keep a close watch on the behaviour of young drivers, drivers of heavy goods vehicles and pedestrians.

A garda spokesperson said: “High visibility patrolling and checkpoints will be a feature, along with covert checks and behaviour monitoring patrols.”

Some 275 gardaí who recently completed their training are being assigned on a temporary basis to the safety operation.

An extra 60 gardaí are being assigned to traffic corps around the country, bringing full-time traffic personnel nationwide to 685.

Recently, 31 extra driving offences were added to those breaches which incur driver penalty points.