Drivers still drinking despite crackdown

MOTORISTS are still dicing with death despite the latest attempts by the gardaí to eliminate the scourge of drink driving.

Figures released yesterday show that large numbers of motorists persist in ignoring the warnings and continue to mix drinking with driving. There has also been an increase in drug driving.

Despite new powers of arrest and a nationwide garda Christmas campaign, the level of drink driving has hardly changed since 2002.

Arrests are running at an average of 250 a week, almost exactly the same as it was a year ago. However, the number of road deaths has dropped significantly, indicating that penalty points are having an effect.

The number of drivers arrested for drink driving over the first three weeks of the Christmas campaign is 786, compared to 795 over the equivalent period last year.

Describing the figures as disappointing, Superintendent John Farrelly of the Garda Press Office said: "There are obviously people who are not getting the message, and at the end of the day they are going to lose their licences."

Based on the figures, it is likely that about 1,000 people will be arrested during the month of December.

Supt Farrelly said 60% of those tested had twice the legal limit for alcohol consumption. "This is a huge amount and it means that those who are convicted will lose their licences for two years. There are still large numbers of motorists who drink and drive and that is very disappointing," he said.

In Cork city and county the figures are more startling. Inspector Pat McCarthy of the North Cork Garda Division revealed 37 arrests were made in the past three weeks against 13 in the same period last year.

According to Inspector Peter Callnan of the Cork city traffic corps two-thirds of those arrested were shown to have double the legal limit. "There is also a climb in the incidence of drug driving," he said.

Despite these results, Transport Minister Seamus Brennan yesterday insisted the garda campaign is working. "These arrest statistics suggest in overall terms the situation may be improving and that the deterrent effect is having an impact.

"However, there is clearly still a lot of people who continue to behave irresponsibly," he said.

Mr Brennan warned he intended to introduce full random breath-testing next year in a further attempt to halt the practice. The latest figures show road deaths have dropped dramatically.

So far this year the death toll is at 336 37 fewer than at the same time last year.