Gardaí commence festive roads policing operation

"We will intercept drink and drug drivers, please don’t be one of them," appealed An Garda Síochána as they began their Christmas Roads Policing Operation this week.

"The operation will focus on driving while intoxicated - drink driving and drug driving," the policing force said.

As part of the operation, the Gardaí will increase the number of mandatory intoxicant testing checkpoints, at which the Gardaí have the power to test drivers for the presence of alcohol and drugs. During the roads policing operation, the force will operate its annual National Slow Down Day from 7:00am Friday, December 20, until and conclude at 7:00am Saturday, December 21.

"When socialising never, ever drink/drug drive," the Gardaí warned, urging those intending on drinking to book a taxi or to use public transport. 

"Nominate a designated driver and make sure you are alcohol-free the next morning," the force said, "We will be on the roads on a 24/7 basis over the Christmas period, focusing on all lifesaver offences: driving under the influence, speeding, using mobile phone and seat belt offences."

Nearly €3,000,000 in speeding fines have been issued by An Garda Síochána since 2019, across 30,445 speeding offences, Waterford News & Star revealed earlier this year.

The data, released under the Freedom of Information Act, shows that 3,367 fines had been issued this year, until September.

The number of Fixed Charge Notices (FCNs) issued in the Garda districts of Dungarvan, Tramore, and Waterford has remained relatively stable since 2019. However, the number peaked during the pandemic in 2021 when there was a sharp rise to 5,955 drivers receiving speeding fines that year.

There were 5,292 FCNs issued for drivers, who were caught using their mobile phones while at the wheel of an automobile since 2019. Similarly to the speeding fines issued each year, the number of mobile phone-related offences peaked in 2021 at 1,321 - nearly four drivers caught every day.

This rate has dropped in recent years, with just 559 drivers caught on their phones in 2023 and 672 so far this year.

The Gardaí have called for road users to "remember that we have updated our traffic watch reporting to facilitate online reporting of non-emergency traffic-related incidents" on the Garda.ie website.