Drink-drive arrests increase by 29%

MORE than 2,000 people have been arrested for drink driving in Cork, Kerry and Limerick this year — an increase of 29% on last year’s total.

And with the Christmas period fast approaching, senior gardaí believe that hundreds more will fall into the net, especially as an extra 50 gardaí are deployed in the region each weekend dedicated to the task.

Inspector Billy Duane, who is in charge of the traffic corps in the three counties, said that mandatory breath-testing had already made a significant impact.

“Since mandatory tests were introduced there has been a significant rise in arrests,” the inspector said. “There were 380 arrests in the three counties last month, which is 62% up on the figure for September 2005.”

More than 4,000 drivers in the region alone have been asked to give breath samples since mandatory testing was introduced on July 20. On average each weekend, 25 drivers are arrested for failing the test. Some of them have been on their way to work the following morning.

Overall this year, arrests on suspicion of drink-driving are up 29%, but gardaí say that figure will increase even further if people continue to take a chance.

“We must bed the idea in people’s minds that if they drive, they will be breathalysed,” Inspector Duane said.

He said he expected the Christmas blitz against drink drivers to start in mid-November. In the meantime, 10 extra gardaí each in the Cork West, Cork City, Cork North, Kerry and Limerick divisions are being deployed to combat drink driving.

“Our recommendation is that if you are going to drink, leave the car at home,” Inspector Duane said. “There is no excuse because there is plenty of public transport available. There have never been so many taxis.”

He said the death early yesterday of 32-year-old Darragh Farrell, of Woodhill Villas, Tivoli, Cork, brought to 53 the number of people killed so far this year on roads in his region. A total of 65 died on roads in the three counties last year. Inspector Duane said Mr Farrell’s death was the 11th fatality on roads in Co Cork.

“We are finding that most serious single vehicle accidents involving fatalities are occurring between 11pm and 8am. Multiple vehicle accidents, on the other hand, are taking place between 10am and 6pm.”