Waterford Garda division sees most drink driving tests in Ireland

Waterford saw the greatest number of breath tests at mandatory checkpoints carried out in any Garda division in the country, following a nearly 75 per cent, year-on-year increase in alcohol tests from mid-2023 to mid-2024.

Gardaí in the Waterford, Kilkenny, Carlow division carried out 5,403 mandatory breath tests at Mandatory Intoxication Testing (MIT) checkpoints during the second quarter of 2024, the latest roads policing data shows. The most breath tests in a single month took place in May 2024 (1813) during this period.

This was the single greatest number in any Garda division, with nearly 1,000 more tests than were administered in the second highest division, Kildare – 4,400. A further 4,215 tests were carried out in the Mayo/Roscommon/Longford division area.

In the year leading up to Q2 2024, Gardaí in the division carried out 14,852 breath tests in Waterford during 3,500 mandatory testing checkpoints. The three-month period from April to June in 2024 saw 19,216 such tests take place in the Eastern Region, which includes Waterford, an increase of nearly 4,000 tests in the same quarter in 2023.

These figures are only based on the number of breath tests conducted at MIT checkpoints and do not include breath tests carried out by Gardaí in the regular activities of their jobs in road policing.

The numbers in subsequent months may see an increase in the overall number of tests for intoxicants carried out by members of An Garda Síochána, following a bill passed by former Minister of State for Transport Jack Chambers to require Gardaí to test drivers involved in serious collisions for the presence of intoxicants in their system.