Gardaí have announced a 19 per cent increase in the number of drink-driving related arrests.
Last year 249 arrests were made for drink driving in week one of the garda safety campaign. The corresponding figure for this year is 297, which is an increase of 19 per cent.
However, there has been a slight reduction in road deaths with four people killed on Irish roads in the first week of the season last year compared to three this year.
Garda figures show that an estimated 11,344 people were arrested for drunk driving in 2003. Research shows that alcohol is the primary cause of 25 per cent of all road collisions and 33 per cent of fatal collisions.
Motorists have been urged to comply with speed limits and although Garda figures show a slight fall in speeds, inappropriate speed remains the single greatest contributory factor to road deaths.
Gardaí have advised travellers to wear seatbelts and have called on motorists to more conscious of pedestrians and cyclists.