THE GARDAI HAVE today announced that six people lost their lives on the country’s roads over the St Patrick’s Day holiday period- a 50 per cent increase on last year’s figures.

Serious collisions were also up by 20 per cent and a total of 267 people were arrested over the period for drink driving. Provisional figures show that over 5,000 drivers were caught speeding during the festival weekend, which ran from the 16-20 March. The figures make for grim reading, says Garda Traffic Bureau chief John Twomey.

The increase in the number of drivers, speeding and drink/drug driving – despite all the evidence as to the consequences of such behaviour is disappointing. These people are from our communities and it is our communities who are paying the price for their recklessness.

Noel Brett, CEO of the Road Safety Authority, also expressed his dismay at the numbers for the bank holiday period, but said that they indicated a strong Garda presence on Irish roads.

While it’s disappointing to see so many people getting caught for road traffic offences it certainly does show that the Gardai are out in force on our roads and people need to wise up this fact. I’m convinced that the problem here is with a minority of people who are becoming complacent on the road and as a result are putting their lives and others at risk.