An extension of evidential breath testing, more than 200 extra gardai deployed at checkpoints in Dublin and more than 50,000 checkpoints State-wide are the main deterrents contained in the annual Christmas anti-drink-driving campaign, launched yesterday.
Speaking at the launch in Pearse Street Garda station, Garda Commissioner Mr Pat Byrne said "drink, speed and non-use of seat belts are the main cause of road traffic accidents". He predicted that evidential breath testing would make convictions faster and more reliable.
Mr Byrne said current pilot schemes based at Pearse Street, Dublin, and Castlebar Garda Stations would be extended from the first week in December to include Tallaght and Dun Laoghaire in south Co Dublin.
Mr Byrne said 375 people have been killed on the State's roads so far this year, and last December there were 45 fatalities. A high proportion of road accidents happened to single-occupant vehicles, travelling between late night and early morning at weekends. 41 per cent of single-occupant car drivers were 16 to 30 year-olds.
This year there will be 210 extra gardai drafted into Dublin to man the checkpoints, approximately two thirds of them full-time gardai deployed from early December.
Around December 14th 75 recruits from the Garda Training College will be drafted in to assist.
Mr Bryne also said the number of drivers tested has increased every year recently. Of those testing positive, more than half were more than twice the legal limit for alcohol consumption.
The chairman of the National Safety Council, Mr Cartan Finegan, said while younger drivers, especially young male drivers, were a high risk category, the Christmas campaign also targeted the more "mature" male, "the complacent one, the one who deludes himself that he can handle his drink".
Mr Finegan said neighbours and friends of drivers had a responsibility to ensure people drove safely, adding "peer pressure can be a powerful ally of road safety."
The Minister of State for the Environment, Mr Robert Molloy, said road accident had a terrible cost in human terms as well as to the health service.
He said the Government Strategy for Road Safety had targeted a 20 per cent reduction in deaths by 2002.
Mr Molloy thanked commercial organisations which had sponsored road safety campaigns and invited others to come on board.
However, while the Irish Insurance Federation is supportive of the Christmas campaign, and has provided sponsorship of £1 million for 2000, its chief executive, Mr Mike Kemp, pointed out that measures such as the speed cameras contained in the Government's Strategy for Road Safety had yet to be implemented.
Other measures also contained in the strategy and awaiting implementation include a penalty points system for drivers.
The National Safety Council recently launched a report commissioned from economist Dr Peter Bacon which showed there could be an immediate return on investment in road safety of 4.5 to one, rising to eight to one after a few years.
It is understood that while the equipment for the additional measures has been provided, there is a delay because staff have not yet been allocated. Mr Kemp said the "blockage" should be removed as soon as possible.
