New motors on Irish roads.
An Garda Síochána and the Road Safety Authority (RSA) have appealed for all road users to act responsibly and safely on the roads throughout the Christmas and New Year period.
Drivers have especially been warned of the dangers of driving the morning after a night of drinking because their driving skills could still be impaired by alcohol.
Analysis of Garda Síochána Investigation Files for fatal collisions, by the RSA, shows that 11% of fatal collisions in which a driver had consumed alcohol occurred between the hours of 7am and 11am.
Elsewhere, An Garda Síochána statistics indicate that 6% of all Driving Under the Influence (DUI) arrests that have been made to date this year have taken place between 7am and 11am.
The highest number of DUI arrests, 104, occurred on a Sunday morning.
On this note, a new fleet of vehicles will be made available for those members of An Garda Síochána that work in the following areas; Terenure, Blanchardstown, Blackrock, Tullamore, Newtownmtkennedy, Mullingar, Henry Street, Midleton, Ennis, Swinford, Roscommon, Letterkenny, Sligo, and Monaghan
Christmas has come early this year for Roads Policing. New vehicles allocated to following districts for upcoming Operation Open City over Xmas. Terenure, B'town,Blackrock,Tullamore, Newtownmtkennedy, Mullingar,Henry St, Midleton, Ennis,Swinford, Roscommon,L'kenny, Sligo,Monaghan pic.twitter.com/e1oiyLioe1
— An Garda Síochána (@GardaTraffic) November 29, 2018
Assistant Commissioner David Sheahan, Garda Roads Policing Bureau, has said that: “An Garda Síochána will be launching its six week Christmas and New Year road safety campaign beginning this weekend. This will include a focus on Mandatory Intoxicant Testing checkpoints around the country to deter people from driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs or a combination of both.”
The Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport, Shane Ross, also said that: “The focus of our appeal this year is to warn the public about the dangers of driving the morning after consuming alcohol. We know that alcohol remains a significant contributory factor in fatal crashes and is responsible for far too many deaths and injuries on Irish roads. I appeal to all those socialising over the Christmas and New Year period to do so responsibly and never, ever, drink and drive, including the morning after.”
He adds: “It’s simply not worth the risk now that new penalties have been introduced which mean drivers detected with a blood alcohol concentration between 50mg and 80mg face losing their licence for three months. So if you have done the right thing the night before, don’t forget to do the right thing and make alternative arrangements to travel the morning after.”
As always, be responsible when you’re on the roads.
LISTEN: You Must Be Jokin’ with Aideen McQueen – Faith healers, Coolock craic and Gigging as Gaeilge
