Gardai to enforce new breath test powers today

New laws giving gardaí more powers to breath test drivers come into effect this morning.

Previously, gardaí could only request a breath test if they believed the driver had consumed alcohol. But from today, gardaí will have the power to request a roadside breath test if they believe the driver has committed a road traffic offence or been involved in a collision.

The Minister for Transport, Mr Brennan, said yesterday that Garda powers would be further extended next year to allow gardaí to set up checkpoints for random breath testing. The new legislation corrects an anomaly in last year's Road Traffic Act which could have been interpreted to mean that a garda might have to actually witness an accident before he or she could take a preliminary breath test.

The legislation has been introduced to coincide with the pre-Christmas anti-drink-driving campaign run by the gardaí and the National Safety Council. The Garda Commissioner, Mr Noel Conroy, has already written to all divisional and local Garda commanders ordering a major crack-down on drink-driving. More than 1,500 drivers are expected to be arrested for suspected drink-driving between now and January 3rd.

In last year's campaign, gardaí reported a 17 per cent rise in the number of motorists arrested for drink-driving compared with the previous corresponding period. Between November 25th and January 5th, some 1,449 people were arrested for drink-driving.

Of the 11,200 people stopped on suspicion of drink-driving last year, some 90 per cent of blood and urine samples and 81 per cent of breath specimens analysed were above the legal limit.

Also yesterday, the National Road Safety Council announced a €10,000 fund in a competition for road safety projects. Individuals, community groups, local authorities, students, companies and the media have been invited to take part in the Irish Road Safety Endeavour Awards which will take place on February 19th next.

Entry forms available on the National Road Safety Council's website www.nscawards.ie

Operation Freeflow, which aims to facilitate the flow of traffic in the Greater Dublin area, begins today and will run until January 5th 2004. The campaign, which is being coordinated by An Garda Siochana, will focus on minimising the amount of disruption from increased traffic congestion over the Christmas period.

A freephone number, 1-800-293949, is also available for members of the public to bring urgent traffic matters to the attention of the authorities.