Garda clampdown on roads planned this weekend

One town in each Garda division will be selected for a drink-driving blitz each night this weekend, gardaí have warned.

Up to 275 recruits from the Garda training college will assist gardaí manning checkpoints, and mobile patrols with unmarked Garda cars will be used to monitor public houses and target habitual drink-drivers who leave at - or prior to - closing time. The increased activity is part of Operation Lifesaver, a bank holiday weekend crackdown on drink-driving.

Each night of the operation a different major town or centre in every Garda division will be selected for intense Garda attention.

One of the key aims of the operation is to reduce deaths and serious injuries on the roads during the traditionally high-risk June bank holiday weekend. Last year three people were killed and 54 people were injured. Previous years had seen the number of fatalities rise to as high as seven.

Some 6,145 people were arrested for drink-driving offences from January 1st to May 1st this year, an increase on 5,156 last year. Speaking yesterday Assistant Garda Commissioner Eddie Rock said the key message was that Garda activity was increasing and that those who chose to drink and drive this weekend would face "a high likelihood that you would be detected".

Minister for Transport Martin Cullen said that while it was depressing that so many drivers still drive while drunk, he was "delighted" with recent Garda detection rates.

"The majority of drivers do not drink and drive. However, there is still a sizeable number who continue to drink and drive and they will be the focus of concentrated Garda enforcement.

"Efforts in recent years had been towards greater enforcement", which was he said "the gap we have been trying to close". Drink-drivers should know that there is "now a very serious risk you are going to get caught".

Operation Lifesaver runs until midnight on Monday.