Extra Gardaí to target dodgy drivers

Motorists attempting to evade the law on Galway roads will have a tougher time escaping reprimand in the coming months as an additional 15 Gardaí are added to the county’s Roads Policing Unit.

Galway’s Garda Chief Tom Curley told members of the County Joint Policing Committee (JPC) this week that thirteen Gardaí and two Sergeants will be added to the unit in the short term.

This comes as 2018 crime statistics for the county showed a mixed bag – with speeding, driving without insurance and drink driving all reporting a dip in detection, while the number of people who died or were seriously injured on Galway’s roads rose sharply.

Anti-drink driving measures introduced at the end of last year did not appear to have any effect on the numbers detected under the influence while behind the wheel with 228 drivers caught – down 15 per cent on 2017.

Chief Supt Curley said the fact of the matter was that fears over people being prosecuted unfairly were overplayed – with his experience showing that those who drink drive tend to be well in excess of the limit.

“Ninety-five or ninety-six or ninety-seven per cent of drink drivers are not convicted just on the basis of drink driving. The sad reality is that they are normally two or three or four times over the limit,” said Chief Supt Curley.

For more, read this week’s Connacht Tribune.

Get the Connacht Tribune Live app
The Connacht Tribune Live app is the home of everything that is happening in Galway City and county. It’s completely FREE and features all the latest news, sport and information on what’s on in your area. Click HERE to download it for iPhone and iPad from Apple’s App Store, or HERE to get the Android Version from Google Play.