Kenneth Fox
An Garda Síochána said they arrested 184 people for drink-and drug - driving over the Easter Bank Holiday Weekend.
They said there were over 930 Mandatory Intoxication Testing (MIT) checkpoints carried out by Gardaí across the weekend.
Over the Easter Bank Holiday, a Garda operation was put in place between 7am on Thursday, April 14th up until 7am on Tuesday, April 19th. The operation placed a particular emphasis on the problem of drug driving.
The makeup of the arrests across the weekend were 73 for drug driving and a further 111 arrests for drink-driving.
Detections for other road offences during the period included:
- Seatbelts – 61
- Mobiles – 166
- Speeding – 1810
Assistant commissioner Paula Hilman, roads policing, and community engagement said: "I want to sincerely thank the majority of road users who drove responsibly and did not put other road users at risk over the Easter Bank Holiday weekend.”
"However, given that two people lost their lives on our roads between Good Friday and Bank Holiday Monday and a further thirteen received life changing injuries, I again appeal to the minority who persist in disregarding public safety messages to remember the devastating effect that fatal and serious injury collisions have on our families and communities.
"I urge all motorists to play your part in ensuring our roads are safe for everyone."
There were two road traffic collisions which resulted in two deaths over the Easter Bank Holiday weekend and 10 serious injury road traffic collisions resulting in 13 people injured.
An Garda Síochána figures show for the full year of 2021 there were over 3,300 arrests for drug-driving.
Analysis by the Medical Bureau of Road Safety (MBRS) shows that cannabis and cocaine remain the most detected drugs in drivers on Irish roads.
In 2021, 57 per cent of people tested for drugs contained cannabis, 31 per cent contained cocaine and 14 per cent were found to have benzodiazepines. The number of arrests in 2022, up to March 31st, was 768.
