Gardaí hail drink-drive crackdown across region

DRINK-DRIVING arrests have soared in Cork, Kerry and Limerick and gardaí are planning to seize cars driven by so-called “boy racers”.

Inspector Billy Duane, of the regional traffic corps, disclosed yesterday that the number of drink-driving arrests in 2006 in the three counties was in excess of 3,500 — more than a third up on the previous year’s figures.

The Cork City Garda Division topped the table with more than 1,000 arrests, which Inspector Duane said represented a 30%-plus increase on the previous year.

In the North Cork division there were more than 600 arrests and a further 470 in West Cork. Both areas showed a 50% increase on the previous year.

Gardaí in Kerry arrested more than 640 compared to 500 the previous year and in Limerick the number of arrests went up from 630 to over 780.

“So far this year we have had only one fatality in the region compared to five last year. There were 62 fatal accidents which claimed the lives of 68 people throughout the whole of last year in the three counties,” Inspector Duane said.

He pointed out that the number of road deaths in the region was up in the first half of last year but fell significantly after the introduction of mandatory breath-testing in July.

“Motorists are fearful of being breathalysed and that has contributed to the reduction in the number of serious and fatal accidents on our roads,” he said.

The inspector revealed that there is an increase in the number of people driving under the influence of illegal drugs and that gardaí were now equipped with a number of drug-detecting instruments which they are using on a pilot scheme.

People in their 20s and 30s are most likely to be caught drug driving.

Inspector Duane said that a large number of young drivers were acting very responsibly, but unfortunately there was a minority causing problems.

He said they referred to themselves as car enthusiasts, but most people would call them boy racers. They congregate in groups and are known to indulge in high-speed and dangerous races.

The inspector said traffic corps gardaí would be targeting these people and especially focusing on those without proper NCT certs.

“Under the Road Traffic Act 2006 we have been given the power to seize such vehicles and we will be doing so,” he said.

Gardaí believe that cars with blackened windows, oversized and excessively loud exhausts cannot pass the NCT. They also believe that excessively wide wheels, as used by a lot of these people, wouldn’t pass the NCT. Another group to be targeted rigorously this year are lorry drivers carrying excessive loads.

“There are also a lot of unlicensed hauliers out there and they will be targeted as well,” Inspector Duane added.