Nearly half of drunk drivers caught by the Garda on Irish roads last year were found to be over twice the alcohol limit, despite a major safety information campaign.
In all, 9,724 people exceeded blood, urine and breath alcohol limits in tests carried out by the Medical Bureau of Road Safety, though the results were negative for 1,638 drivers.
Under the law, drivers must have an alcohol level below 80mg per 100ml of blood, 107mg per 100ml of urine, or 35 micrograms per 100ml of breath.
In all, 20.8 per cent of offending drivers were found to have consumed more than 201mg per 100ml of blood, while 28.4 per cent were found to be over 151mg of alcohol per 100ml of blood.
The Medical Bureau of Road Safety last year carried out 12,503 tests, of which 131 were carried out to determine drug consumption.
Drivers stopped at Garda checkpoints between 9 p.m. and 6 a.m. provided over 82 per cent of the samples tested, while 12 per cent came from drivers halted between 4 p.m. and 9 p.m.
Despite suggestions that the gardaí have launched efforts to prevent motorists driving to work "the morning after", it emerged that just 6 per cent of samples were taken from drivers stopped between 6 a.m. and 4 p.m.
The number of blood and urine samples tested by the bureau was down 1,687 on the 2000 total because of the greater use by the Garda of high-technology breath testers.
Over 6,527 breath samples, or 82 per cent of the total, were subsequently certified by the bureau as being over the limit, while 32 per cent were over twice the legal limit. But 1,096 breath tests - known as the Intoxilyzer - were found to be negative.
During 2001, 15 breath testers were installed in Garda stations around the country: in Ballina, Cavan, Donegal town, Ennistymon, Kells, Thurles, Tuam, Waterford, Carlow, Mallow, Wicklow, Carrick-on-Shannon, Athlone, Tullamore and Killarney.
Scientists test each Intoxilyzer during the year. In all, 351 gardaí have trained to operate the breath testing equipment, or to supervise its operation.
In a new departure, the bureau tested 131 samples for seven "soft" and "hard" drugs. Of these, 115 were found to be positive, and 89 drivers tested positive for more than one drug.
Staff from the bureau gave evidence in court during seven challenges to the use of breath testing. Three full-time analysts were appointed to deal with the extra workload created by breath testing.
