Tag Archives: drink driving

INCREASING penalties for drink driving saw Shane Ross being slammed in pubs and by publicans all over the country, but the man himself denies the changes to legislation were unpopular in rural Ireland. Speaking to The Clare Champion last week about the reaction he had received, the Dublin TD said, “One thing I think you’re mistaken about it, it wasn’t unpopular in rural areas. We did we did a lot of sampling on it. It was approved of in rural areas and very strongly approved of in rural areas. “Vested interest in rural areas and some TDs were very, very loud against it. But the sampling, the polling that we did on it or the RSA did on it, was very much in favour. In fact, it was more popular in rural areas than it was in urban areas.” He said the drinks industry had exaggerated the level of opposition and had been supported by certain politicians. “On top of …

FOR almost 50 years Mike Noonan has been coming to The Blacksticks Bar but he can see its the type of bar that might not survive for very much longer. Mike, who doesn’t take a drink himself, is still very critical of the changes to the drink driving laws, introduced by a government minister who he feels has no understanding of rural Ireland. “Bring Shane Ross out of Dublin City Centre and he’d get lost. If you landed him here and turned off the street light he’d panic, he’d be looking for the public transport home.” He adds, “It’s a shame, just because of a man above in Dublin City. If you landed him here, he’d get frightened when he saw the dark, he wouldn’t be used to it. But I suppose it’s in now and it’s there to stay. I honestly don’t think it will save any life.” Mike says there are degrees of drink driving.“If you go into …

In the first 10 days of the DUI (Driving Under Intoxicant) campaign,December 1-10 inclusive, there have been 260 arrests on suspicion of DUI, compared to 243 for the same period in 2016. Whilst most are alcohol related, there have also been positive tests for drug driving. There are multiple examples of arrested drivers found to have an alcohol concentration of more than 100 micrograms per 100 millilitres of breath. These have been intercepted throughout the country, including the morning after and early evening. The limits are, 9 micrograms of alcohol per 100 millilitres of breath for a specified driver. A specified driver includes learner, novice and professional driver. 22 micrograms of alcohol per 100 millitres of breath for a non-specified driver. The Garda message is, “This Christmas campaign will continue to concentrate on intoxicated drivers all day every day. These high risk drivers put everyone’s life in danger. Never ever drink and drive.”

Alcohol is a contributory factor in 38% of fatal crashes in the lead up to Christmas, a Road Safety Authority (RSA) analysis of Garda investigation files for fatal crashes in the months of November and December has found. The figure was revealed today at the launch of the RSA and An Garda Síochána’s annual Christmas and New Year Road Safety Campaign. Another analysis of preliminary Garda data from 2008-2016 reveals that a total of 292 road users were killed in the months of November and December. The average number of fatalities each month for this nine-year period was 16 in November and 16 in December. The new RSA analysis also shows that: • Dublin, Cork and Galway had the highest number of RTC fatalities in November and December and accounted for almost a third (32%) of the total number of fatalities that occurred during this time period. • The most prevalent times of day were between 4pm-8pm (33%) and 12pm-4pm …

Transport Minister Shane Ross has announced a new provision to facilitate the mutual recognition of driving disqualifications between Ireland and the UK, which comes into operation today, Tuesday August 1. “The mutual recognition of driving disqualifications is an important road safety measure because it aims to target dangerous drivers on our roads. The disqualifications relate to drivers disqualified for reckless or dangerous driving, hit and run driving, and driving while under the influence of alcohol or drugs. “Mutual recognition of driving disqualifications is an important road safety measure for both Ireland and the UK, and is one of a series of measures I am introducing which will reduce road injuries and ultimately save lives,” he said. The Minister added: “Maintaining the common travel area and our economic links with the UK are important priorities for Ireland, and this agreement will make a contribution towards that objective, as well as making an important contribution to road safety. The new measures are …

A total of 105 people were arrested for drink driving in Clare so far this year – an increase of 21. This has prompted an East Clare county councillor to ask if the enforcement level in this area is a “bit over the top”. At Monday’s meeting of the county’s Joint Policing Committee, Whitegate councillor Pat Burke suggested the idea of breathalysing people at all times of the day was a bit much. “I don’t know of too many women who are going to schools, collecting their kids, who are drink driving,” he said, adding, “Yet they are being breathalysed.” He also said he has a friend in his own area who likes to have three or four pints on a Sunday and will walk to and from the pub to do that. He said now, however, that he will no longer go to the pub because he is afraid to drive into work in the morning. Having received an …

As we head into the New Year, An Garda Síochána and the RSA are renewing their appeal to drivers to be responsible in relation to drinking and driving. Provisional figures indicate that since December 1, when the Christmas and New Year anti drink driving campaign was launched, there has been an increase of 34% in the number of arrests on suspicion of driving under the influence, a total of 738 compared to 549 for the same period in 2015. An Garda Síochána are warning drivesr that intoxicated driving will continue to be targeted by on a 24/7 basis, including the morning after, and appeal to every driver to be responsible and never, ever drink and drive. Assistant Commissioner Michael Finn said, “Tragically, there have been two fatalities over the past seven days, a motorcyclist on Christmas Day and a driver on St Stephen’s Day. On Christmas day alone 14 drivers were arrested by gardaí on suspicion of intoxicated driving. It …

SIX people have been detected drink driving in Clare over the Christmas period, with two of these being during the day time. Of the six drink drivers, one was detected at 9.20am on Monday, December 19 and another at lunchtime on December 21. Two were detected in the early hours of December 28. Although the drink-driving figures for the month of December to date show a “significant increase” in those driving while under the influence of alcohol, locally the statistics are down one on last year for the Christmas period. On December 1, An Garda Síochána and the RSA launched the Christmas and new year anti-drink driving campaign. This was heavily publicised across all broadcast mediums, particularly social media, and was fronted by the Treacy family, who tragically lost their four-year-old son Ciarán in a road traffic collision involving a drunk driver. Despite this stark ad, people continue to drive under the influence. Nationally, from December 1 to December 20, …