Sixty arrested since midnight for drink driving

Seth Brundle

from www.breakingnews.ie/ireland/?jp=MHAUCWOJEYKF
17/03/2007 - 11:48:19
Sixty suspected drink drivers have been arrested across Ireland so far today.

Gardaí said the motorists, making the most of St Patrick's weekend celebrations, were stopped between midnight and 10.30am this morning.

Gardaí are renewing their appeal to motorists to exercise care on the road, not to break the drink driving legislation and to show consideration for the safety of themselves and others, said a garda spokesman.

Only yesterday road safety chiefs warned that drink drivers getting behind the wheel of a car over the bank holiday weekend had a high chance of getting caught.

Noel Brett, of the Road Safety Authority, said that it was supporting efforts by the gardai to have extensive mandatory alcohol testing checkpoints nationwide.

Motorists were also warned to reduce their speed and be aware of pedestrians under the influence of alcohol.

So far this year, 60 people have been killed in 58 road accidents.

The figure, which includes 24 pedestrians and 23 drivers, compared with 83 people killed in the same period in 2006.

In 26 counties, 60 people have been arrested. Am I supposed to be impressed that 2.3 people per county were caught last night? Im sure a lot more could have been caught if the will was there!

aphex™

kbannon wrote:

In 26 counties, 60 people have been arrested. Am I supposed to be impressed that 2.3 people per county were caught last night? Im sure a lot more could have been caught if the will was there!

Like there are no other crimes to tackle at night...

mike65

It would be nice to know how many actual check points were in opperation over a given period of time.

Mike.

maidhc

kbannon wrote:

In 26 counties, 60 people have been arrested. Am I supposed to be impressed that 2.3 people per county were caught last night? Im sure a lot more could have been caught if the will was there!

Maybe people are not drink driving?

cyrusdvirus

Tag. Played designated driver last night. If i see another coke this year it'll be too soon!!!

DarkJager

I counted 4 checkpoints in Limerick and out towards Co.Limerick last night, all breathalyser stop points. I got breathalysed myself and am thinking of making a complaint about how they are carrying it out. I was in a line of traffic and they breathalysed the driver in front, then I pulled up, the garda just gave the mouthpiece a quick wipe with his glove and made me blow into it. Have they heard of hygiene at all??

TheNog

kbannon wrote:

In 26 counties, 60 people have been arrested. Am I supposed to be impressed that 2.3 people per county were caught last night? Im sure a lot more could have been caught if the will was there!

There are 90,000km of roads in Ireland. Gardai cannot cover each road all of the time.

Anyway maybe people are getting the message and fewer are drink driving.

overdriver

DarkJager wrote:

I counted 4 checkpoints in Limerick and out towards Co.Limerick last night, all breathalyser stop points. I got breathalysed myself and am thinking of making a complaint about how they are carrying it out. I was in a line of traffic and they breathalysed the driver in front, then I pulled up, the garda just gave the mouthpiece a quick wipe with his glove and made me blow into it. Have they heard of hygiene at all??

You have a right to insist on a new one.

ninty9er

From what I saw in parts of Limerick lastnight, the Gardaí had a lot of other serious crime to be dealing with too; but I did see a Garda pull over on car in particular in front of me...so it's not like they're doing nothing out there

Turner

kbannon wrote:

In 26 counties, 60 people have been arrested. Am I supposed to be impressed that 2.3 people per county were caught last night? Im sure a lot more could have been caught if the will was there!

Ya because on the friday night of a st paddys weekend all the gardai were sitting around drinking tea and eating buns :rolleyes:

Just because you dont see any action or trouble on the streets i can assure you that last night and tonight are probably the busiest nights for gardai with respect to drink related issues/arrests.

MarkN

I think this year could shape up to have one of the lowest number of fatalities in quite a long time.

I would like to know how many of the 60 were caught this morning as in still being over the limit but after sleeping, not staying in the pub all last night and deciding to drive home afterwards because that would give you some indication of how many are getting the message. Not that still being over the limit the next morning is right but it is different to intentionally drinking and driving.

Altreab

DarkJager wrote:

I counted 4 checkpoints in Limerick and out towards Co.Limerick last night, all breathalyser stop points. I got breathalysed myself and am thinking of making a complaint about how they are carrying it out. I was in a line of traffic and they breathalysed the driver in front, then I pulled up, the garda just gave the mouthpiece a quick wipe with his glove and made me blow into it. Have they heard of hygiene at all??

Yes make that complaint. Noone ever knows what could be on that mouthpiece. Anything from the cold sore virus to HIV. Your well within your rights to insist on a new mouthpiece. I know i definitely would.

Seth Brundle

My point is that its not difficult to find people driving over the limit. Its still quite common despite recent changes.
As for driving the morning after, I have no sympathy there for people caught!

MarkN

Altreab wrote:

Anything from the cold sore virus to HIV. Your well within your rights to insist on a new mouthpiece. I know i definitely would.

It would be impossible to catch HIV the way you are making out! :rolleyes:

maidhc

kbannon wrote:

My point is that its not difficult to find people driving over the limit. Its still quite common despite recent changes.

Maybe it isn't

Btw there is anecdotal evidence emerging from what I can see that you need to have a fair bit drank before you register as being over the limit. The reason for this no one knows, but it quite possibly has something to do with the calibration of the equipment being used by the gardaí. The use of the intoxyliser is on very shaky ground from a legal point of view (its reliability is far from certain), and it is at least possible they are concerned to avoid as many challenges to it as possible

If true it might explain the low enough rate of people arrested.

Altreab

MarkN wrote:

It would be impossible to catch HIV the way you are making out! :rolleyes:

Granted it would be extremely unlikely but do you want to take the chance of catching ANY infection just because the Garda in question couldnt be bothered changing the mouth piece?
Im all for random testing ....just not for testing done the way the OP said he was tested.

Altreab

maidhc wrote:

Maybe it isn't
The reason for this no one knows, but it quite possibly has something to do with the calibration of the equipment being used by the gardaí. The use of the intoxyliser is on very shaky ground from a legal point of view (its reliability is far from certain)
If true it might explain the low enough rate of people arrested.

Surely the guards have a legal obligation to calibrate it to the legal limits? The company doing the calibration would definitely want to do it to the legal standards to cover their butts when cases go to court.
The question is how often the machines are calibrated and how much out of line they have slipped in that time. This would go for all machines the gardai would use. Speed Cameras and Intoxyliser's

Stark

MarkN wrote:

It would be impossible to catch HIV the way you are making out! :rolleyes:

Who said anything about HIV? You could eat your dinner off a toilet bowl and you wouldn't catch HIV; it still wouldn't be very hygienic though.

Edit: sorry missed the post about "anything from cold sore to HIV"

Stark

maidhc wrote:

Maybe it isn't

Btw there is anecdotal evidence emerging from what I can see that you need to have a fair bit drank before you register as being over the limit. The reason for this no one knows, but it quite possibly has something to do with the calibration of the equipment being used by the gardaí. The use of the intoxyliser is on very shaky ground from a legal point of view (its reliability is far from certain), and it is at least possible they are concerned to avoid as many challenges to it as possible

If true it might explain the low enough rate of people arrested.

Well the legal BAC in Ireland is 0.08%, which is very high; a person will be noticeably drunk at that BAC. An average male could potentially drink 4 pints in a short sitting and still be under the limit. If it's over the course of a night, he could drink even more and still be under the limit (An average person will metabolise a pint every 2 hours, a habitual heavy drinker will metabolise alcohol at a faster rate). Those TDs complaining that the government are persecuting their "half a glass of shandy" electorate can stick that in their pipe and smoke it.

From a legal point of view, prosecution is made on the basis of a blood or urine test, not the breathalyser test. The breathalyser is just a tool that the gardaí use to decide who needs to be brought down to the station. I don't see why there should be issues if the breathalyser happens to overestimate the breath alcohol concentration a little.

PS: I still think there are a lot of assholes out there who are driving over the limit.

maidhc

Stark wrote:

From a legal point of view, prosecution is made on the basis of a blood or urine test, not the breathalyser test.

No a prosecution can be brought on an intoxyliser. It is a machine made by "Lion" that a person blows into. It then does something magic and spits out a receipt. It can be found in a garda station.

Alun

Yes, it's a bigger, fancier (and more accurate) version of the handheld breathalyzer. I think what Stark was saying was that they can't bring a prosecution solely on the basis of the evidence from the hand held device.

Turner

Just to clear a few things up..

The mouthpieces are changed after every breath. Cant imagine any garda asking somebody to use someone else's mouth piece.

The checkpoints they set up run from 10pm-6am with just constant breath testing being carried out. Anybody caught in the morning have either come to the attention of the gardai, been reported or been involved in a crash.

People do forget that some people drink all night go to parties drinking aswell and leave about 6 or 7am for home in their car.

Was speaking to a friend of mine today who is in the traffic corps. He was doing constant breath testing last night from 10pm to 6am in dublin. Over the night he breathalysed just under two hundered people. He did get a few borderline passes where people had 2-3 pints and got the people to park up and walk. Nobody he tested failed the roadside breath test so it seems people are getting the message.

Stark

Alun wrote:

Yes, it's a bigger, fancier (and more accurate) version of the handheld breathalyzer. I think what Stark was saying was that they can't bring a prosecution solely on the basis of the evidence from the hand held device.

Yes, that's what I was saying. I wasn't aware that they used a breathalyser back at the station actually, I thought it was an option of urine test or blood test.

Chief--- wrote:

The checkpoints they set up run from 10pm-6am with just constant breath testing being carried out. Anybody caught in the morning have either come to the attention of the gardai, been reported or been involved in a crash.

Are you sure? I've heard from people in work that they were breath tested a few times coming into work (this would be after around 8am).

Turner

Were they tested randomly? Or were they after doing something stupid like speeding or breaking a red light.

Stark

Tested randomly. They said it was usually around the same point that they were tested as well.

unkel

Chief--- wrote:

The checkpoints they set up run from 10pm-6am with just constant breath testing being carried out

That not only makes sense, but it seems to be international best practise too. I'm not sure if it's done like that here though. Can you double check that with your Garda sources and get back to us, Chief?

Trampas

Chief--- wrote:

Was speaking to a friend of mine today who is in the traffic corps. He was doing constant breath testing last night from 10pm to 6am in dublin. Over the night he breathalysed just under two hundered people. He did get a few borderline passes where people had 2-3 pints and got the people to park up and walk. Nobody he tested failed the roadside breath test so it seems people are getting the message.

I don't think the problem is in Dublin. I think it is more down the country as most people can walk to the local pub in a few mins in Dublin.

rediguana

I drove from Blackrock to the bus station last night (10pm) and back again and I saw no police. I was surprised, with the night that was in it. I went in the N11.

I'm not bitching about the Gardai. I've generally had amicable dealings with them.

I suppose the N11 isn't worth their while. All I saw were taxis and some busses. It's so well-served by public transport that it'd take a special kind of dullard to drunk-drive down it on Paddy's Night.

Seth Brundle

I haven't seen a DUI checkpoint since October or November IIRC in the Dublin area.

mike65

207 drink drive arrests in last 24 hours according to RTE, 5 dead in Donegal in last 24 hours as well. I can say I'm genuinely glad I don't live and work up there.

Mike.

Bradidup

mike65 wrote:

207 drink drive arrests in last 24 hours according to RTE, 5 dead in Donegal in last 24 hours as well. I can say I'm genuinely glad I don't live and work up there.

Mike.

Me too,
You still get a lot of fools up that end of the country that think they are exempt from D&D and speeding if they carry n.i plates.

peasant

Bradidup wrote:

Me too,
You still get a lot of fools up that end of the country that think they are exempt from D&D and speeding if they carry n.i plates.

Even if you're stone cold sober ...DL roads will catch you out sooner or later.
They're disgraceful ...all of them.

whippet

on friday night I was behind a landcuiser that clipped a couple of kerbs, irratic braking etc .. I called the trafficwatch number and to my suprise I got an answer.

I gave the details, and the landcruiser broke a red light to park up beside a chipper. The driver stumbled out for his bag of chips. I got a call then from the garda station across the road. They walked out and waited for the driver to get back in to the motor and proceeded to breathalize him.

But what shocked me was the reaction of some people when I told them .. i'd say about 50% thought that I should have minded my own business!!.

All I can say .. if I did nothing and he knocked someone down on his way home I wouldn't have been able to live with myself !!!

maidhc

whippet wrote:

But what shocked me was the reaction of some people when I told them .. i'd say about 50% thought that I should have minded my own business!!.

Informing? not approved of in Ireland? Never!?!

mike65

Whippet you did the right thing of course, ignore the **** or just inquire if they'd like thier loved ones wipped out by a drunk.

Mike.

445279.ie

Yeah Whippet, you did the right thing. I've had done the same thing if I was behind him

cyrusdvirus

agree 100% whippett. Kudo's to you

DonJose

I applaud your actions. I would do the same. You shoud the traffic watch number, maybe the mods could make a stickey for it.

overdriver

With you all the way whippet.

I saw a girl and her passenger today in traffic drinking from a bottle of vodka. It was an '06 VW, but the angle was wrong and I couldn't catch a reg plate, sadly.

maidhc

For someone obviously drunk and driving a car it is the right thing to do.

I would still be very slow to report someone for anything though. I just wouldn't feel good about it.

Green_Martian

Fair Play to you Whippet, i agree 100% with what you did.

What would have happened if he had of went on the wrong side of the road and crashed into some poor person driving home.............

Ignore the ppl who said you should have minded your own business, he could have hit them or a loved one belonging to them......

franksm

What's the trafficwatch number for here ?

I called the cops (RUC as they were back then) in Down after seeing something similar - and they sent a car out and nabbed the guy there and then. Can't believe anyone would say it's not the right thing to do ! :mad:

maidhc

franksm wrote:

. Can't believe anyone would say it's not the right thing to do ! :mad:

Because (leaving the highly emotive issue ...on boards at least...of Drink driving aside), it is very alien to the culture in Ireland to inform authority of transgressions of the law. It is generally seen as officious, obnoxious, and unwelcome.

Jo King

maidhc wrote:

No a prosecution can be brought on an intoxyliser. It is a machine made by "Lion" that a person blows into. It then does something magic and spits out a receipt. It can be found in a garda station.

The handheld device is simply used to give the Guard a power of arrest, since it enables him to form a view that the person tested may be over the limit. At the station there may be an intoxylizer or intoximeter machine. The machine may be used in preference to taking a blood or urine sample. The guards generally prefer to use the machine when available. The reasons are that there is no need to call a doctor and the result is available immediately. There is only a printout from the machine when a person gives a sample over the limit of 35ml. The printout will be give in evidence in court. This person will be charged before they leave the station on bail and then be brought before the next available court sitting.

md99

whippet wrote:

on friday night I was behind a landcuiser that clipped a couple of kerbs, irratic braking etc .. I called the trafficwatch number and to my suprise I got an answer.

I gave the details, and the landcruiser broke a red light to park up beside a chipper. The driver stumbled out for his bag of chips. I got a call then from the garda station across the road. They walked out and waited for the driver to get back in to the motor and proceeded to breathalize him.

But what shocked me was the reaction of some people when I told them .. i'd say about 50% thought that I should have minded my own business!!.

All I can say .. if I did nothing and he knocked someone down on his way home I wouldn't have been able to live with myself !!!

You did the right thing - especially considering the careless and ignorant actions of the driver. While I'm against the general act of drink driving, I consider driving under the influence DRUNK and CARELESSLY much more seriously than driving, under the influence, discreetly... while neither are right, the latter will never really be properly eliminated. I often leave the car after 7/8 pints on a night, knowing full well that if I'd risked driving there's not a hope in hell I'd be caught... Frustrating but a 2 year sentence wouldn't be worth it at all!

Seinas

DarkJager wrote:

I counted 4 checkpoints in Limerick and out towards Co.Limerick last night, all breathalyser stop points. I got breathalysed myself and am thinking of making a complaint about how they are carrying it out. I was in a line of traffic and they breathalysed the driver in front, then I pulled up, the garda just gave the mouthpiece a quick wipe with his glove and made me blow into it. Have they heard of hygiene at all??

can AIDS or anything be passed on because of that??

DonJose

Seinas wrote:

can AIDS or anything be passed on because of that??

If a Guard asks you to blow into something and you do catch AIDS, I wouldn't call it a breathalyzer test lol

skyhighflyer

Fair play to the poster who reported the guy in the Landcruiser. I saw a chap literally fall out of a pub and into his BMW one night. The pub doormen seemed not to care, even enough to suggest that he get a taxi. I took the reg and rang the guards. Don't know if he was caught or not but what if it was your mother/ sister / anyone in their Micra and this drunk tool in his 7 series plows into them? Not trying to say the type of car makes any odds but still.

I wouldn't report anyone for tax dodging, using green diesel or anything else like that. Not that I approve of either, but it doesn't put anyone at risk. But getting behind the wheel of a car pissed drunk is something I can't deal with seeing, knowing that they're going to be on the road home and that you could wake up tomorrow morning hearing about another fatal crash on the roads that you had a chance to prevent.

Stark

skyhighflyer wrote:

Not trying to say the type of car makes any odds but still.

Well in a crash between a BMW and a Micra, it's not hard to see which one will come off worse.

skyhighflyer

Stark wrote:

Well in a crash between a BMW and a Micra, it's not hard to see which one will come off worse.

That's where I was coming from... I didn't want someone thinking I was a jealous bastard reporting someone because they had a 7er!

Kinetic^

Fair play whippet, good deed done.