Drink driving clampdown

A blitz on younger drivers, particularly male drivers, over the next eight Saturdays, beginning today has been announced in Kerry, after an analysis of the first six months of the year by senior gardaí in the division found that young men, in the 21-30 age group, are more likely to drink drive than any other group.

The figures came as “a shock” and put paid to the “myth” that younger drivers had got the message about drink driving, and that it was older age groups who offend, Kerry’s Chief Superintendent Dave Sheahan told a meeting of the Tralee’s Joint Policing Committee.

One-third (51) of those found by gardaí to be driving while intoxicated up to the end of June were between the ages of 21 and 30 — 46 of these were male and five were female drivers; a further 34 intoxicated drivers were between the ages of 31 and 40 and six of these were female.

The gardaí found some 151 people, 134 of whom are men, to be driving while intoxicated in the first six months of 2016 — a 13% increase on the same period in 2015.

Chief Supt David Sheahan outlined that the 21-30 age group males are nine times more likely to be caught drink driving than their female counterparts. He said the clamp down was not to catch people but to deter a practice that leads to deaths.