Statistics show that a huge number of drivers have been caught drink driving in the last ten years, but which county has the biggest problem?
As the Christmas period approaches, the Garda presence on the roads will increase as they endeavour to clamp down on those who take to the roads under the influence of alcohol, but new statistics have shown that a huge number of people have been caught in recent years drunk driving.
Using data compiled between 2004 and June 2014, Independent.ie has crunched the numbers on the extent of the drink and drug driving problem in Ireland, and revealed that one in every 20 drivers has, at some stage, been found to be under the influence while behind the wheel.
The county that has the highest rate of offenders is Monaghan, where a reported 98 out of every 1,000 drivers has been stopped while drink driving, which is twice the national average; while Roscommon has the lowest rate, with 32 out of every 1,000.
Blanchardstown in Dublin is the station that has the most arrests for drink driving, while when it comes to drug driving, the station in Ballyfermot has the highest detection rate. The Road Safety Authority noted, however, that the problem may be even bigger than the statistics suggest, as there are many drivers who are never caught , despite the best efforts of the Gardai. They believe that alcohol is a factor in around 37% of all fatal road crashes, while drugs play a role in about 10% of accidents that lead to deaths on the road.
The statistics vary depending on the county, but in general the problem was greater in predominantly rural areas and counties than it was in urban areas, something which has been put down to the lack of transport.
Via Independent.ie. Pic via Darren Hall/Flickr
