Blitz on drink driving
Ten held on suspicion of driving under the influence on Christmas Day... as motorists feel force of automatic ban
TEN people face the prospect of three months off the road after being arrested on suspicion of drink-driving on Christmas Day.
A further 12 people were arrested after testing positive for alcohol between the hours of midnight and 9am on St Stephen’s Day.
Gardaí say a number of these drivers refused to provide a sample of their breath – an offence that carries a penalty of a fouryear driving ban. The new law, in which drink-drivers receive an automatic three-month ban, came into effect under the controversial new Alcohol Road Traffic (Amendment) Act 2018 which came into operation on October 26.
Under the provisions of the law, drivers with a breathalyser reading of 35 microgrammes of alcohol 100 millilitres of breath will be disqualified from holding a driving licence for three months and receive a €200 fine.
Drivers with between 50 milligrammes and 80 milligrammes of alcohol per 100 millilitres of blood, or 107 milligrammes of alcohol per 100 millilitres of urine, face the same sanctions. Last month, the RSA and gardaí warned motorists of the effect alcohol can have the morning after a night of drinking.
Statistics show that 11% of fatal collisions, in which a driver had consumed alcohol, took place between the hours of 7am and 11am. According to gardaí, 6% of all driving-under-the-influence arrests have taken place within that four-hour period, with the highest number occurring on Sunday mornings.
Gardaí said in a tweet yesterday: ‘Ten people were arrested on susper picion of drink-driving yesterday 25/12/18 & a further twelve up to 9am this morning. A number of these drivers refused a breath sample and now automatically face a four-year ban. NEVER ever drink & drive#BeSafe.’
In November, gardaí announced that ‘super checkpoints’, which test drivers for drink and drugs, would be in operation around towns and cities over Christmas.
Under Operation Surround, gardaí are stopping people after work and warning them that they will be caught later that night if they drink and drive. Further checkpoints were set up late at night and the next morning, as blood alcohol levels can take up to ten hours to return to normal.
Assistant Garda Commissioner David Sheahan said: ‘Our whole theory is about saving lives. We want to create awareness and make sure people do not try to take a chance and put others’ lives at risk.’
Mr Sheahan told the Irish Daily Mail: ‘The morning after is the biggest problem we are facing at the moment. There are too many fatalities and victims arising out of drug and drink driving. Families are broken up, lives are lost and people lose their jobs.’
The new rules have been controversial, with several rural TDS arguing that they would ruin the livelihoods of owners of rural pubs and destroy the social lives of people without access to public transport. Comment – Page 12 ali.bracken@dailymail.ie
‘Morning after is biggest problem’