More young motorists being arrested for drink driving

A growing trend in the city of younger people ‘chancing’ drink driving – as well as an increase in drugs usage by drivers – is a source of major concern for Gardai.

The latest crime figures for the city indicate that more drivers in their early 20s are being arrested for drink driving, bucking a trend of previous years.

In the first nine months of this year, there were 170 arrests for drink driving in the city and Salthill areas, but according to a senior Garda, more young people in their 20s are showing up in the detections.

As well as drink offences behind the wheel, there was also a dramatic increase in the number of drivers detected with significant drug levels in their blood, for the first nine months of this year.

Nine people were detected in the city driving while under the influence of drugs from January through to September as compared to just one for the same period last year.

Overall drink driving detections in the ‘city only’ area so far this year were down by just 2% with 134 cases recorded – and down by 18% in the Salthill Garda area where there were 36 arrests.

Chief Superintendent, Tom Curley, told the Galway City Tribune, that there were still far too many people ‘chancing’ drinking and driving and they were getting caught.

“What is also of major concern to us is the change in the age profile of the drivers being arrested. There is a growing number of younger drivers – in their 20s – being arrested for drink driving. This is a source of major concern to us,” he pointed out.

“In the past, the drink driving arrests had tended to be more common among motorists of an older age profile, but this seems to have changed again and that is a really worry for us,” added Chief Supt Curley.

He also stressed that the increase in ‘drugs driving’ detections so far this year also posed a threat to road safety.

“While our main concerns in this area related to illegal drugs, we would also advise drivers on specific prescribed medication to check carefully with their GP, to ensure that this doesn’t have any side effects such as drowsiness,” said the Chief Superintendent.

Detections for the illegal use of mobile phones across Galway increased by a massive 141% so far this year with 2,360 drivers nabbed, while a further 682 motorists were caught while driving with no seatbelts on – an increase of almost 50%.