Over 170 people were caught drink or drug driving last week, gardaí say

Eva Osborne

177 people were caught drink or drug driving last week.

Gardaí provided the updated as part of their Christmas Road Safety Campaign, which aims to reduce road deaths.

Meanwhile, a National Slow Down Day is in place, with 75 drivers already caught speeding on Friday.

Inspector Fergal O’Donovan from the Cork County Roads Policing Unit has warned drink and drug drivers that they will get caught.

"We'll be out in force throughout the whole country on our Christmas campaign, and the message is simple," he said.

"If you think you're going to drink and drive or do drug driving, the chances are you're going to get caught and arrested.

"We only have to catch you once, and we're going to be out there in force."

In the first five hours of ‘National Slow Down Day’, GoSafe checked the speeds of 35,802 vehicles, and detected 75 vehicles travelling in excess of the applicable speed limit.

Examples of high speeds include:

• 67km/h in a 50km/h zone on the R188 Drumbear Monaghan;
• 122km/h in a 80km/h zone on the R680 Butlerstown North Waterford;
• 136km/h in a 100km/h zone on the N18 Ballinacurra (Weston) Limerick.