This article is from page 16 of the 2006-07-25 edition of The Clare People. OCR mistakes are to be expected so download the original SWF or the rendered page 16 JPG
AS THE new Road Traffic Bill came into effect over the weekend, gardaí in Clare arrested 10 people on suspicion of drinking and driving.
Four drivers were arrested in the Lahinch area, three in the Ennis/Shannon district, two in west Clare and one in Killaloe, over the weekend.
This follows a revelation last week that the number of people arrested for the alleged offence had increased by 60 per cent in Clare Garda Division during the first six-and-a-half months of the year.
The new Road Traffic Bill, which cracks down on the use of mobile phones while driving and allows random breath testing to be carried out, came into effect on Thursday night.
A Garda spokesman confirmed that one driver was arrested in Ennis, under the new legislation, on the night of its introduction.
Meanwhile, eight garda motorcyclists will travel around the county today (Tuesday), advising drivers that the use of mobile phones whilst driving will no longer be tolerated.
“They will travel in pairs to towns throughout the county, and along the N7 and N18, advising people of the new legislation,” said a garda spokesman. “Drivers should be reminded that fixed charge penalty points for using mobile phones while driving will not come into effect until September. People are liable to be summonsed to court for this offence, until September,” added the garda.
Random checkpoints were put in place over the weekend in all of the main traffic locations in the four districts in Clare, to focus on the new legislation.
“It appears from early indications that there is a high level of compliance with the new provisions,” added the spokesman.
Meanwhile, Councillor Madeleine Taylor-Quinn (FG) said further steps must be taken in an effort to deal with drink drivers and other offenders on the roads.
“I welcome the level of detections over the weekend. There is a need for continued patrolling,” she said.
She said gardaí must take tough measures against people who drive whilst under the influence of drugs.
“These people are often more dangerous on the road than those under the influence of alcohol. We cannot choose to ignore this issue,” she said.
She suggested that a new scheme be introduced in an effort to address the high number of drivers arrested in rural areas on suspicion of drink driving.
“A transport initiative should be introduced, late at night. It is regrettable that so many drink drivers are detected in rural areas. Small rural pubs have been adversely affected because of the new laws. It is difficult to balance it,” she said.