Laois gardaí set up 35 checkpoints over the weekend

Gardaí set up 35 checkpoints at locations across Laois over the St Patrick’s Day weekend.

The checkpoints were set up to deter drink and drug driving and to ensure the roads remained safe over the long weekend.

Portlaoise Gardaí said one driver was arrested on suspicion of drink driving in Portlaoise this morning. They said the driver was stopped at Church Street in the town at around 1am. He is expected to appear in court at a later date.  

Meanwhile, nationally gardaí said throughout the St. Patrick’s Bank Holiday Weekend, an extensive Garda Roads Policing Operation was in place between 7am on Thursday, March 13 to 7am Tuesday, March 18.

There were two fatalities on our roads during this period and seven serious collisions took place that resulted in eight people receiving serious and life-threatening injuries.

Over this Bank Holiday period, gardaí carried out more than 1,025 Mandatory Intoxicant Testing (MIT) checkpoints. Over 4,969 breath tests and 190 drug tests were performed which led to 214 arrests for driving under the influence of an intoxicant.

Throughout the weekend, over 2,650 drivers were detected for speeding offences.

Fines for other road offences during this period included:  285 for mobile phone use, 125 for unaccompanied learner drivers and 62 for no seatbelt. 

In addition,  95 vehicles were seized from learner permit holders driving unaccompanied and 425 vehicles seized for having no tax or insurance. 

“An Garda Síochána continues to appeal to all road users to never drive under the influence of alcohol or drugs, to slow down and to always choose a speed that is appropriate to the driving conditions, to wear your seatbelt and keep your eyes always on the road,” gardaí said in a statement.