Ireland

Gardaí issue stern warning to road users on hazardous behaviour

Road safety campaign which began on December 1st collars 93 on suspicion of drink-driving and 41 on drug-driving

Gardaí have once again alerted drivers to the dangers of drink-driving in advance of the festive season. Photograph: Getty Images
Gardaí have once again alerted drivers to the dangers of drink-driving in advance of the festive season. Photograph: Getty Images
David Raleigh
Fri Dec 06 2024 - 14:36

Drivers are creating “lethal, dangerous” scenarios on roads by driving while using mobile phones and consuming alcohol and drugs, gardaí have warned.

So far this year 165 people have died on Irish roads and the force is advising road users to slow down and take heed of weather warnings.

Gardaí issued more than 20,500 fixed-charge notices for driving while using a mobile phone since the start of the year, said Garda Roads Policing Insp Pádraig Sutton in Limerick.

“Our covert ability, such as the number of our unmarked vehicles, have been strengthened and those drivers that use phones are distracted whilst they are driving, watching some television programme on a phone or other device in the vehicle — it is absolutely lethal,” said Insp Sutton.

READ MORE

“We appeal to you not to do it. And, furthermore, we have increased our unmarked vehicle capability [so] the chances of you getting apprehended whilst doing this now have significantly increased.”

[ More than 800 drivers caught for being under influence of alcohol or drugs over Christmas ]

Insp Sutton said drink- and drug-driving remained a big concern with more than 7,000 people arrested on suspicion of driving while under the influence since the start of this year.

He said that since the start of the Garda road safety campaign on December 1st, “93 people have been arrested on suspicion of drink-driving with alcohol and a further 41 people have been arrested on suspicion of driving whilst under the influence of drugs”.

Appealing for people to “take heed” of their behaviour on the roads, particularly during weather alerts, Insp Sutton said neither he nor his colleagues want the grim task of calling to a home to tell them their loved one had been killed.

So far this year gardaí have conducted more than 100,000 checkpoints, he said.

Moreover, gardaí to date have seized more than “24,250 vehicles from our roadways, from people driving with no insurance, no licence, or from unaccompanied learner drivers driving without a full-licence driver in the vehicle”, said the inspector.

“Our message to road users is we are out, we are out in quite significant numbers and these checkpoints will be a regular feature that you will see,” said Insp Sutton.

Appealing to road users to heed weather warnings as Storm Darragh takes effect, he added: “The advice for a red warning is: do not travel, do not drive, stay indoors.”