Gardai are warning motorists that checkpoints will continue across Ireland over New Year’s Eve, New Year’s Day and the rest of the festive period.
It’s part of a major six-week Christmas and New Year road safety enforcement campaign, which has a particular focus on drink-driving and drug-driving.
Mandatory Intoxicant Testing checkpoints have been set up in locations across Ireland and are set to continue over the festive period.
As well as driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs, gardai are also targeting speeding, not wearing seatbelts and mobile phone use by drivers.
Officers are reminding motorists that anyone caught drink-driving faces a disqualification for a minimum of three months.
It comes as dozens of drivers were tested for drink and drugs at a single checkpoint in Dublin.
The MIT checkpoint on Davitt Road in Dublin 12 on Wednesday night saw 67 drivers tested, with one motorist failing the test and subsequently arrested.
Speaking earlier this month, Chief Superintendent John Gordon warned: "Mandatory intoxicant checkpoints will also feature strongly as part of our Christmas and New Year enforcement operations and we are reminding motorists who may be out socialising over the holiday period to leave the car at home and not to risk taking it out too early the next day as you could still be over the legal limit to drive.”
With many of us set to celebrate the New Year tonight, Road Safety Authority CEO Sam Waide also warned of the dangers of driving ‘the morning after’.
"The morning after is a real danger zone for drink driving. A previous analysis of Garda Siochana Investigation Files for fatal collisions, by the RSA, shows that 11% of fatal collisions, in which a driver had consumed alcohol, occurred between 7am and 11am.
“Our own research also shows that one in four drivers admit to driving over the limit the morning after.
“There is no hard and fast rule about when it is safe to drive the morning after if you have been drinking the previous night. But motorists should allow at least one hour per standard drink for the alcohol to clear their system. A standard drink is a half-pint, a small glass of wine or a standard measure of spirits.
“Also, if drinking at home, you may be unknowingly drinking larger measures and therefore increasing the risk of being unsafe to drive the following morning.
“The key is never to take chances, don’t risk it, you could end up losing your licence or worse.”
Almost 4,500 drivers have been arrested for drink-driving to date in 2021.
