Gardaí test over 900 drivers and arrest seven people for driving while intoxicated on Dublin roads

Paul Moore

The tests are part of a campaign for safer driving over the Bank Holiday weekend.

On Saturday night, over 300 motorists were tested by Gardaí at various checkpoints in Dublin and four were arrested for ‘driving while intoxicated.’ The tests were conducted as part of road traffic operations which are being led by Dublin Roads Policing Units.

The arrests were made at Mandatory Intoxicant Testing checkpoints which were carried out across Dublin as part of the various May Bank Holiday road safety and enforcement activities.

On Saturday, two of those arrested were for alcohol use and two other motorists were caught driving while under the influence of cocaine.

All four will now face court appearances in the coming weeks.

On Friday night, Gardaí in Dublin tested 595 motorists for alcohol usage and 15 for drugs. They made three arrests – one for alcohol and two for drugs usage.

Dublin City – ‘Operation Lockdown’ on Friday evening :
10 Mandatory Intoxicant Testing checkpoints carried out on arterial routes leaving the city.
595 motorists tested for alcohol and 15 for drugs.
3 arrests, 1 for alcohol and 2 for drugs. Stay safe this weekend! #ArriveAlive pic.twitter.com/j6iT5XMilA

— An Garda Síochána (@GardaTraffic) May 4, 2019

DUBLIN – 300 TESTED & 4 ARRESTED
Over 300 motorists were tested & 4 arrested for
'driving while intoxicated' on Saturday night during road traffic operations led by Dublin Roads Policing Units. For more visit – https://t.co/HBDaMMtA1W pic.twitter.com/cU46pOm15j

— An Garda Síochána (@GardaTraffic) May 5, 2019

Elsewhere, on 3 May, the Roads Policing Unit in Carlow carried out speed checks and stopped a motorist that was travelling at 157kmph.

The driver failed a roadside test for drugs and the car was seized.

It had no insurance too and the driver was disqualified.

Follow up searches of the car recovered 2000 ecstasy tablets and 1/4 kilo of cocaine. The drugs had a combined value of approximately €40,000 – subject to analysis.

A man in his 20s was arrested and taken to Carlow Garda station, where he was detained under Sect 2 of the Criminal Justice (Drug Trafficking) Act 1996.

He was later released pending file to the Director of Public Prosecutions. Investigations are ongoing

Main Image via An Garda Síochána

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