An Garda Síochána have arrested more than 800 people for driving under the influence of drugs at the roadside since January.
Approximately half of those who have been arrested are under the age of 30, according to Chief Supt Jane Humphries of the Garda Road Policing Bureau.
On Thursday, the Road Safety Authority (RSA) launched a new campaign on the issue of drug-driving to raise awareness of the serious consequences of driving under the influence of drugs.
The launch coincides with the May bank holiday road safety appeal, a joint initiative by the RSA and the Garda, urging drivers to slow down, avoid driving under the influence, and keep mobile phones away while on the road.
For the bank holiday weekend, gardaí will be out in force with high visibility, increased checkpoints, and mandatory intoxicant checkpoints where drivers will be pulled over and tested randomly for alcohol and drugs.
“I cannot emphasise enough the danger that you put yourself in, the danger you put other road users in. It totally affects your ability to drive safely on our roads. The risk you are taking is not worth it,” said Supt Humphries.
This year, the Medical Bureau of Road Safety has increased the gardaí’s supply of roadside drug-testing devices by 225 per cent from 2023, with 45,000 devices.
A 2024 national survey of 892 drivers countrywide found 42 per cent have little or no knowledge about drug-driving laws, most commonly those in the 18 to 24 age group. Two out of three believe it is unlikely they’ll be tested for drugs during a typical weekly journey. And almost one in five young drivers knows someone who has taken drugs and driven.
“The dangers of drug-driving is that your motor skills are impaired, you do not have appropriate reaction time, your own ability to judge your impairments is limited, you do not have appropriate co-ordination and your perception is altered. None of those make for a good driver or a safe driver,” said Sarah O’Connor, director of partnerships and external affairs with the RSA.
“In terms of drug-driving, the message is really simple: do not ever take drugs and drive,” she added.
