Kildare gardai to mount round the clock Christmas checkpoints

Kildare gardai will be out at various locations around county's roads testing drivers for intoxicants. 

The checkpoints will operate around the clock.

While traffic volumes have reduced by 70% at times during this year, there has been a 133% increase in detections for drug driving. The Kildare Joint Policing Committee and the Kildare Road Safety Working Group are appealing to road users to be responsible and use the roads safely and wisely over the festive season.

Inspector Tony Connaughton of the Naas District said gardaí can stop a motorist randomly at a checkpoint and test them for an intoxicant. If the driver proves positive for alcohol or drugs, they can be arrested and brought to the local garda station for processing.

“When a driver is detected at a testing checkpoint, we can stop a motorist randomly driving through. To test for alcohol, we can do a breath test and to test for the presence of drugs we will do an oral fluid test," he said.

If the person proves positive for either of those tests, they will be arrested and brought to the local garda station where a specimen will be provided. If the specimen comes back positive and above the thresholds set out, that person will be prosecuted and on conviction in the District Court they will receive a disqualification from driving and a criminal conviction, all of which may lead to issues of employment or future travel plans for that person.

Driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs is not just illegal and dangerous, it can also lead to other consequences for many other people. If people are involved in a collision, because of the actions of an impaired driver, those peoples’ lives are affected also.

Kildare’s Road Safety Officer Declan Keogh is appealing to people to drivers to be safe and sober while driving and for passengers to also be aware of the drivers’ actions.

“We’re asking drivers to be safe and sober of any alcohol or drugs while driving, and for any other person who is getting into a vehicle with a driver, that they themselves know that the driver is safe and sober of alcohol or drugs, and above all for every single person in the vehicle to wear their seatbelt and for the driver to drive within the speed limit.”

Pedestrians and cyclist are also reminded to become more visible and alert while using the roads.