14 people were arrested on Christmas Day for drink driving offences. Gardaí have renewed their appeal to drivers to be responsible after an increase of drink driving arrests this month.
There has been a 34% increase in the number of drink driving offences this month.
In total 738 people have been arrested since the start of the month, up more than a third on last year's figures. 549 people were arrested last December for drink driving offences.
These most recent figures are from the Christmas and New Year anti drink driving campaign.
Speaking about the recent increase, Assistant Commissioner Michael Finn said "It is disappointing following the many appeals and media focus in this area, that so many divers continue to take such a risk.
"Tragically, there have been two fatalities over the past seven days, a motorcyclist on Christmas Day and a driver on St Stephen’s Day.”
The CEO of the Road Safety Authority Moyagh Murdock also spoke about the recent upsurge in drink driving offences "Any amount of alcohol impairs your driving, this is not an opinion, it’s a scientific fact. So if you are socialising to ring in the new year remove temptation altogether and leave the car and keys at home and plan how you are going to get home."
