The number of deaths from road accidents and arrests for drink- driving increased over the six-week Garda Christmas campaign compared to the previous year.
Calls for random breath-testing and visible enforcement were made yesterday by road safety campaigners in response to the figures.
An Garda released the final figures for the period of Operation Lifesaver which ran from November 29th to January 9th.
A total of 42 people were killed in road accidents during the six-week period, compared to 29 in the same period in the previous year. Arrests for drink-driving were 1,622 in the period compared to 1,558 in the previous year, an increase of 4 per cent. An Garda carried out 26 per cent more breath tests, with 2,262 people tested compared with 1,794 in the previous year.
In addition, 19,415 motorists were detected speeding and 2,818 were found not to be wearing seat belts.
Mr Brian Farrell, communications executive of the National Safety Council, said the increase in the number of road deaths had continued over the last number of months and had almost returned to pre-penalty points level.
"What is needed to tackle the drink-driving problem, and therefore road deaths, is to introduce random breath-testing," he said. Such testing would be an effective deterrent.
The Government strategy had advocated the move. Mr Farrell said the level of enforcement by 2006 should be one in four vehicles. In other words, 462,000 vehicles a year should be randomly screened by the roadside.
He said he welcomed the introduction of the Garda dedicated traffic corps.
Mr Niall Doyle, corporate affairs manager of the Irish Insurance Federation, said it also called for random breath-testing and visible enforcement of the laws.
There were more arrests this Christmas because there were more gardaí, he said, but the high level of enforcement which was needed to bring down the number of road deaths had not yet been reached.
"There has to be a change in the mindset of people and with greater enforcement and visibility the message will be sent out that drivers will be caught," he said. "Moves are being made by the Minister for Justice but we have to have random breath-testing and increased enforcement if we are to save lives this year."