790 motorists were arrested over the Christmas period after they were caught driving while intoxicated.
Gardai figures have revealed that during the period from December 4 to January 5, 14,780 people were also guilty of speeding on Irish roads.
An Garda Síochána’s Christmas and New Year Road Safety Campaign was primarily focused on mandatory intoxicant testing – detecting those who drive having consumed alcohol or drugs.
During this period, 12,858 breath tests were carried out with 5,513 checkpoints established on Irish roads.
In terms of other offences that were noticeable, 1096 fixed charge notices were issued for motorists that were using their mobile phones while driving and 314 people were also found to be not following the proper seatbelt rules.
Sadly, 10 deaths on Irish roads occurred during the festive season. When compared to the same period in 2019, this represents a reduction of six fatalities.
In 2020, there were a total of 148 deaths on Irish roads, that's 8 more than in 2019.
Paula Hilman, Assistant Commissioner of Roads Policing and Community Engagement Bureau, has appealed to all road users to remember the basics of road safety during 2021.
"The message is clear, never drive if you are under the influence of alcohol or drugs, or a combination of both," she said.
The Gardai has also asked drivers to increase their compliance with speed limits in order to reduce the number of collisions.
