Over 370 drink-driving cases reported

Gardaí recorded 371 drink-driving incidents over the past week.

Gardaí recorded 371 drink-driving incidents over the past week.

Provisional statistics for the period from October 1st to October 7th revealed a drop of 15 incidents on the previous week.

However, Fine Gael TD Shane McEntee warned that downward trend in road deaths following the introduction of mandatory breath testing in July last year appeared to be over.

Mr McEntee said that road deaths in the last two months were 35 per cent higher than for the same period last year and called on the Road Safety Authority to review its safety campaign.

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"Unfortunately it seems the reduction in road deaths achieved following the introduction of mandatory breath testing, and as a result of the Road Safety Authority's ongoing safety campaign, is now wearing off," he said.

"For most of 2007 the monthly figures for road deaths were lower than those in 2006, but the death toll in August and September was 35 per cent higher than last year's figures," he added.