As part of the Garda Christmas Enforcement campaign, DMR Traffic carried out a high visibility Motorway Operation on the M1 on Wednesday 11th December 2013. The Operation commenced at 2pm and terminated at 3pm.
Key Points: -Motorway Checkpoints - Road Offences
- Criminal Gangs
- 677 people arrested for drink driving in November
- over 400,000 drivers breath tested
The main objective of this operation is to increase the awareness of fatal and serious injury road traffic collisions. Within the DMR a total of 18 lives have been lost in fatal road traffic collisions to date in 2013, an increase of eight on this date last year. This Roads Policing Operation will specifically target a number of road traffic offences including impaired driving, speeding, lane discipline and breaches of the Road Traffic Act with a view to detecting and deterring inappropriate driver behaviour.
In addition to the road traffic aspect, we know that criminal gangs use the motorway network to travel around the country. High visibility operations such as this on the M1 today will increase over the coming weeks. By policing motorway routes leading to/from high residential areas, we will be denying criminals unchallenged use of the motorway network.
Assistant Commissioner John Twomey, speaking at a checkpoint on the M1 Motorway said today:-"The tragic fact is that 177 people won’t get the opportunity to sit down and enjoy the Christmas festivities with family and friends this year. The vast majority of fatal road traffic incidents are caused by human error, something that someone does or fails to do. Last month alone, 677 drivers were arrested for Driving under the influence of an intoxicant. In this day and age it is totally unacceptable that 677 people made that decision to drink and drive.”
Commissioner Twomey continued:-"I am here, not only as head of the Traffic Corps but also as a daily road user, to tell you that this is simply not acceptable. To date in 2013 over 400,000 drivers have been breath tested and whilst the vast majority are compliant and fit to drive, over 7,200 drivers didn’t heed our message. We all play a part in making the roads safer and ultimately our communities safer. We want
everyone to enjoy the festive season, however to also remind people that An Garda Síochána will be out in force, the message simply is Never Ever Drink and Drive.”
In addition to enforcement activity, there will be a number of safety initiatives targeting vulnerable road users, including the distribution of nearly 30,000 items of RSA hi viz material to pedestrians and cyclists nationwide (currently ongoing).
Commissioner Twomey added:-"We specifically ask all pedestrians to make sure they are visible when out walking, especially in rural or poorly lit areas. Furthermore, if out socialising, plan a safe way to get home and make sure you are fit to walk if you have consumed alcohol. Drivers also need to be extra vigilant and watch out for pedestrians”
The Christmas enforcement campaign by An Garda Síochána will focus on the key lifesaver offences, i.e. driving under the influence, speeding, using mobile phones and non use of seatbelts. There will be an increase in the number of Mandatory Alcohol Testing MAT checkpoints performed, and they will be carried out on a targeted, 24/7 basis. Speeding enforcement by the GoSafe safety camera vans will also increase to 7,375 hours of monitoring over the month of December.
Month<_o3a_p> | 2008<_o3a_p> | 2009<_o3a_p> | 2010<_o3a_p> | 2011<_o3a_p> | 2012<_o3a_p> | 2013 (to date)<_o3a_p> |
January<_o3a_p> | Driving While Intoxicated 2008 - 2013 (To date)
1,366<_o3a_p> | 1,103<_o3a_p> | 949<_o3a_p> | 943<_o3a_p> | 831<_o3a_p> | 644<_o3a_p> |
February<_o3a_p> | 1,501<_o3a_p> | 1,251<_o3a_p> | 1,005<_o3a_p> | 895<_o3a_p> | 735<_o3a_p> | 589<_o3a_p> |
March<_o3a_p> | 1,969<_o3a_p> | 1,424<_o3a_p> | 1,105<_o3a_p> | 947<_o3a_p> | 859<_o3a_p> | 634<_o3a_p> |
April<_o3a_p> | 1,332<_o3a_p> | 1,285<_o3a_p> | 1,105<_o3a_p> | 932<_o3a_p> | 798<_o3a_p> | 633<_o3a_p> |
May<_o3a_p> | 1,778<_o3a_p> | 1,483<_o3a_p> | 1,285<_o3a_p> | 854<_o3a_p> | 878<_o3a_p> | 682<_o3a_p> |
June<_o3a_p> | 1,521<_o3a_p> | 1,207<_o3a_p> | 1,032<_o3a_p> | 833<_o3a_p> | 778<_o3a_p> | 766<_o3a_p> |
July<_o3a_p> | 1,358<_o3a_p> | 1,321<_o3a_p> | 1,098<_o3a_p> | 953<_o3a_p> | 780<_o3a_p> | 583<_o3a_p> |
August<_o3a_p> | 1,522<_o3a_p> | 1,392<_o3a_p> | 1,174<_o3a_p> | 917<_o3a_p> | 751<_o3a_p> | 730<_o3a_p> |
Septembe<_o3a_p> | r 1,283<_o3a_p> | 1,186<_o3a_p> | 953<_o3a_p> | 817<_o3a_p> | 746<_o3a_p> | 664<_o3a_p> |
October<_o3a_p> | 1,451<_o3a_p> | 1,291<_o3a_p> | 1,189<_o3a_p> | 920<_o3a_p> | 778<_o3a_p> | 630<_o3a_p> |
November<_o3a_p> | 1,519<_o3a_p> | 1,175<_o3a_p> | 923<_o3a_p> | 787<_o3a_p> | 685<_o3a_p> | 677<_o3a_p> |
December<_o3a_p> | 1,413<_o3a_p> | 1,003<_o3a_p> | 786<_o3a_p> | 781<_o3a_p> | 746<_o3a_p> | <_o3a_p> |
Total<_o3a_p> | 18,013<_o3a_p> | 15,121<_o3a_p> | 12,604<_o3a_p> | 10,579<_o3a_p> | 9,365<_o3a_p> | 7,232<_o3a_p> |
*THESE ARE PROVISIONAL FIGURES AND SUBJECT TO CHANGE<_o3a_p> | <_o3a_p> |
<_o3a_p>
<_o3a_p>
Breath tests at MAT (Mandatory Alcohol Testing) Checkpoints<_o3a_p> | <_o3a_p> |
<_o3a_p> | <_o3a_p> | <_o3a_p> | <_o3a_p> | <_o3a_p> | <_o3a_p> |
Complete breath test data is only available since 1st July 2009<_o3a_p> | <_o3a_p> |
Complete years 2010, 2011 and 2012 shown below<_o3a_p> | <_o3a_p> |
<_o3a_p> | <_o3a_p> | <_o3a_p> | <_o3a_p> | <_o3a_p> | <_o3a_p> |
*THESE ARE PROVISIONAL FIGURES AND SUBJECT TO CHANGE<_o3a_p> | <_o3a_p> | <_o3a_p> | <_o3a_p> | <_o3a_p> | |
<_o3a_p> | <_o3a_p> | <_o3a_p> | <_o3a_p> | <_o3a_p> | <_o3a_p> |
<_o3a_p> | 1st July 2009 to 31st Dec 2009<_o3a_p> | 2010<_o3a_p> | 2011<_o3a_p> | 2012<_o3a_p> | 2013 (to date)<_o3a_p> |
Total Number of Breath tests at MAT checkpoints<_o3a_p> | 277,398<_o3a_p> | 566,760<_o3a_p> | 539,658<_o3a_p> | 469,102<_o3a_p> | 406,845<_o3a_p> |
| | | | | | | | | | | | |
<_o3a_p>
MAT (Mandatory Alcohol Tests) Checkpoints | <_o3a_p> |
Split in data - data prior to 1st July 2009 is based on manual returns<_o3a_p> | <_o3a_p> |
Month<_o3a_p> | 2008<_o3a_p> | 2009<_o3a_p> | 2010<_o3a_p> | 2011<_o3a_p> | 2012<_o3a_p> | 2013 (to date)<_o3a_p> |
January<_o3a_p> | 5,464<_o3a_p> | 5,857<_o3a_p> | 2,306<_o3a_p> | 5,585<_o3a_p> | 6,725<_o3a_p> | 5,579<_o3a_p> |
February<_o3a_p> | 5,361<_o3a_p> | 5,857<_o3a_p> | 3,614<_o3a_p> | 5,542<_o3a_p> | 5,953<_o3a_p> | 4,893<_o3a_p> |
March<_o3a_p> | 7,628<_o3a_p> | 6,271<_o3a_p> | 4,521<_o3a_p> | 6,371<_o3a_p> | 6,553<_o3a_p> | 5,522<_o3a_p> |
April<_o3a_p> | 3,932<_o3a_p> | 5,659<_o3a_p> | 4,945<_o3a_p> | 6,914<_o3a_p> | 6,104<_o3a_p> | 6,307<_o3a_p> |
May<_o3a_p> | 4,395<_o3a_p> | 5,892<_o3a_p> | 5,195<_o3a_p> | 5,213<_o3a_p> | 6,454<_o3a_p> | 7,279<_o3a_p> |
June<_o3a_p> | 4,315<_o3a_p> | 5,128<_o3a_p> | 4,649<_o3a_p> | 6,320<_o3a_p> | 5,238<_o3a_p> | 7,267<_o3a_p> |
July<_o3a_p> | 4,048<_o3a_p> | 3,289<_o3a_p> | 4,340<_o3a_p> | 6,183<_o3a_p> | 5,563<_o3a_p> | 6,360<_o3a_p> |
August<_o3a_p> | 4,090<_o3a_p> | 4,380<_o3a_p> | 5,879<_o3a_p> | 5,754<_o3a_p> | 5,833<_o3a_p> | 7,639<_o3a_p> |
September<_o3a_p> | 3,648<_o3a_p> | 3,838<_o3a_p> | 5,982<_o3a_p> | 5,300<_o3a_p> | 5,585<_o3a_p> | 6,686<_o3a_p> |
October<_o3a_p> | 4,294<_o3a_p> | 4,342<_o3a_p> | 7,486<_o3a_p> | 5,766<_o3a_p> | 6,323<_o3a_p> | 6,748<_o3a_p> |
November<_o3a_p> | 4,038<_o3a_p> | 3,727<_o3a_p> | 5,849<_o3a_p> | 5,576<_o3a_p> | 5,796<_o3a_p> | 7,536<_o3a_p> |
December<_o3a_p> | 5,362<_o3a_p> | 3,396<_o3a_p> | 2,802<_o3a_p> | 6,337<_o3a_p> | 5,833<_o3a_p> | <_o3a_p> |
Total<_o3a_p> | 56,575<_o3a_p> | 57,636<_o3a_p> | 57,568<_o3a_p> | 70,861<_o3a_p> | 71,960<_o3a_p> | 71,816<_o3a_p> |
<_o3a_p>
<_o3a_p> • 12 people lost their lives in December 2012
