Easter roads campaign to target drink drivers

CHECK POINTS Gardaí will be operating mandatory alcohol testing checkpoints over the Easter weelend. Pic: Michael McLaughlin

Anton McNulty

MOTORISTS have been warned of the dangers of driving the morning after a night out drinking and gardaí will be conducting morning checkpoints over the Easter Bank Holiday weekend.
An Garda SiochΡna has launched its Bank Holiday Enforcement Campaign for the Easter Bank Holiday and has asked drivers not to take undue risks while traveling. The roads during the Easter period are particularly busy time, with school children on their midterm break and families going on holiday.
For the upcoming Easter weekend Garda resources will be deployed with the objective of increasing compliance amongst road users and improving road safety. Motorists are advised that inappropriate speed is the single greatest contributory factor to road deaths and serious injuries.
Supt Noel Kelly of the Western Regional Traffic Division said there will be a particular emphasis on preventing drink-driving. “Drink-driving destroys lives. At best, you could lose your licence, but far worse, and far more difficult to live with, is the possibility of seriously injuring or killing someone on the roads.
“Gardaí will be patrolling the road network throughout the Western Region over the Easter Bank Holiday Weekend period in both marked and unmarked vehicles and would like to remind drivers that in addition to mandatory breath testing, they can breath-tested if they commit any road traffic offence,” he said.
Supt Kelly added that drivers who leave the car at home should remember that they may be still over the limit the next morning and not to take the chance.
“In particular, I would remind drivers of the dangers of driving the morning after the night before; 12 percent of all drink driving arrests occur between 8am and 2pm, and of those, almost a third happen on a Sunday, peaking between 11am and 2pm. So it is vital that drivers take measures to ensure their own safety and the safety of others. This can mean leaving their car at home and taking a taxi or public transport the morning after if they need to get somewhere. It’s just not worth the chance if you are still over the legal limit,” he warned.
Gardaí are also asking cyclists and pedestrians to wear appropriate clothing during hours of darkness. Cyclists should also ensure they have the correct lights and that they are in working order, and remember that they must stick to the rules of the road.
The other areas of road safety which the Gardaí will be targeting over the Bank Holiday Weekend will be speeding, dangerous and careless driving, failure to wear seat belts and the use of mobile phones and other devices which may distract drivers. Drivers are also asked to be aware of fatigue while driving and to take breaks on long journeys.