[Article] Blitz flops as drivers carry on drinking

Victor

http://home.eircom.net/content/unison/national/2177143?view=Eircomnet

Blitz flops as drivers carry on drinking
From:The Irish Independent
Wednesday, 17th December, 2003
Tom Brady Security Editor

MOTORISTS are ignoring major campaigns by the Government and gardai not to drink and drive over Christmas.

The number arrested for being over the limit in the first two weeks of the Christmas blitz is virtually the same as last year.

New Garda figures show that while the number of motorists breath tested dropped from 849 to 519, the number of arrests fell by just one - from 549 to 548. Refusals to take the breath test fell from 17 to 5.

The figures were released last night by the Garda for the first two weeks of a six-week crackdown on the roads.

Officers admitted they are deeply concerned at the trend. They say there is no clear explanation for the discrepancy in the patterns for arrests and breath testing.

They said it appeared motorists are not listening to their message.

Motorists can be arrested without a breath test if the gardai are satisfied beyond doubt that a driver is over the limit.

One officer said: "There seems to be no fall-off among the diehard core of drivers who are prepared to drink over the limit and then take to the roads.

"But the reduction in breath testing indicates that motorists, who might have been judged in the past to be on the margins by the gardai, are not taking the risk in such numbers any more," he added.

Officers had hoped the publicity campaign highlighting the roads offensive, allied to the overall move towards better road behaviour with the introduction of penalty points, would lead to a substantial reduction in arrests.

They say they are manning a similar number of road checks while the level of enforcement generally remains the same as last year.

This year gardai also have additional powers to effectively carry out random breath testing for hundreds of minor traffic infringements.

A breakdown of this year's figures shows 249 arrests in the first week with the total rising to 299 in the second week.

Other statistics reveal that speed detections have increased from 7,021 to 8,115 while seat belt offences are significantly down from 2,420 to 1,424. That is probably as a result of their inclusion in the penalty point system from the end of August.

The breakdown indicates 4,271 speeding offences detected in Week One this year and a further 3,844 in Week Two, while seat belt offences were recorded as 736 and 688, respectively.

Over the full six-week campaign last Christmas gardai arrested 1,499 motorists on suspicion of drink driving.

They breath tested 2,234 with another 35 refusing to take the test.

They got 18,339 for speeding offences and 6,772 for not wearing seat belts.

Between November 23 and January 4, Gardai are expected to have set up more than 50,000 checkpoints, with mobile patrols increased as well.

But the situation in the North is worse - there the number of drink-driving arrests is up by 16 to 132 so far this Christmas campaign.

seamus

If you're stopped by a Garda, and he doesn't have the breath-testing equipment with him, can he still take you in on suspicion?

number of motorists breath tested dropped from 849 to 519, the number of arrests fell by just one - from 549 to 548. Refusals to take the breath test fell from 17 to 5.

That's 24 people who were not tested, and didn't refuse the test, yet were still arrested?

When do the new powers for random testing come in?

Victor

Originally posted by seamus
If you're stopped by a Garda, and he doesn't have the breath-testing equipment with him, can he still take you in on suspicion?

I think so, but he needs to have formed the opinion that the person is drunk.

Originally posted by seamus
That's 24 people who were not tested, and didn't refuse the test, yet were still arrested?

Procedural errors, etc.?

Originally posted by seamus
When do the new powers for random testing come in?

They have the power to test anyone involved ina traffic incident already, but I don't think the ully random tests wil happen for a few months.

Capt'n Midnight

Originally posted by seamus
If you're stopped by a Garda, and he doesn't have the breath-testing equipment with him, can he still take you in on suspicion?

He could ask you to take the test first, then if you refuse the test or refuse to drop down to the station to take it he'd probably have resonable grounds to suspect you wanted to hide something. (Insert She for BanGuard )

And if someone if falling over / vomiting then you a you wouldn't need a breathalyser to confirm they are drunk - and they can do blood/urine? too.