Drink drivers face Christmas crackdown

A HUGE increase in arrests for drink driving in Kerry was being reported and gardaí yesterday warned the crackdown would continue through the festive season.

Latest figures show that, between January to November, 610 arrests were made in the county, compared to 462 for the same period last year. October was the busiest month, with 85 arrests.

Thirty-six arrests have been made in Kerry since the Christmas/New Year road safety awareness began on November 27, compared with 31 over the same period in 2005.

Gardaí said more checkpoints were being set up this year and this would continue in every town and village throughout Kerry until the new year.

The pub trade in Kerry is claiming that the crackdown is resulting in a marked drop in business, with customers being particularly nervous about “morning after” checkpoints.

Independent Cllr Michael Healy-Rae said the future for rural pubs was “very, very bleak” and their livelihoods were being wiped out.

Mr Healy-Rae, who holds about 35 monthly clinics in pubs throughout south Kerry, said he had seen frightening changes in the pub scene in the past 10 years.

“It’s gone so bad that unless rural publicans have another source of income, they’re in serious trouble,” he remarked.

Mr Healy-Rae also claimed there was “over policing” in regard to random breath testing in parts of the Ring of Kerry, while not enough garda resources were being deployed to bigger towns such as Tralee and Killarney.

He criticised the Road Safety Authority and others for putting out messages to the effect that people could not drink and drive.

“I don’t condone drink driving for one minute, but people are still legally entitled to drink and then drive once they’re under the limit — perhaps one drink. People don’t seem to realise that because of all the other messages that are coming out,” he added.