This article is from page 12 of the 2006-08-01 edition of The Clare People. OCR mistakes are to be expected so download the original SWF or the rendered page 12 JPG
THE number of people arrested for suspected drink driving in North Clare has more than trebled so far this year.
Figures obtained by The Clare People show that, up to last week, 36 people were arrested on suspicion of driving while over the limit.
This compares with 10 people during the same period last year.
The revelation comes in the wake of the publication of figures last month, indicating a 60 per cent rise in the number of people arrested for the alleged offence, across the Clare Garda Division.
Ennistymon Superintendent Eamon Dolan said he could not pinpoint any particular age bracket for those committing the offence.
“A lot of people don’t seem to be learning that driving while drunk will not be tolerated. People are just not heeding the publicity,” he said.
“It is happening across the whole district, both young and old,” he added.
He dispelled suggestions that foreign drivers make up a significant percentage of those who drink and drive.
“Last weekend we had four arrests and none of those were foreign nationals,” he said.
Superintendent Dolan said people are being arrested for the alleged offence “late in the evening and in the early hours of the morning.”
Several garda checkpoints are mounted on an ongoing basis by gardaí across the division. The Road Traffic Act, which came into effect almost a fortnight ago, is focusing on the use of mobile phones while driving and it has also given random breath testing the green light.
Fianna Fáil Deputy Tony Killeen said the high level of testing by gardaí indicates that enforcement is being taken “very seriously.”
“The message is very clear that people can no longer drink and drive with impunity.
“I feel that the level of deaths and serious injuries on the roads has to be addressed and each of the contributing factors has to be acknowledged and action taken where possible and appropriate,” said Deputy Killeen.
Meanwhile, the new traffic unit, which will consist of one sergeant and five gardaí and will be based in Killaloe, is expected to be up and running by September.
These appointments will consist of additional resources from outside the Clare Division.
The establishment of the unit in Killaloe comes in the wake of the increasing number of serious road crashes in that area over the past few years. Overall the garda traffic corps in the division is to double in size by the end of next year.