Four separate drink / drug driving arrests in Laois in the one day

Four separate drink driving arrests were carried out in Laois in the one day last week.

Laois Gardaí have confirmed to the Leinster Express / Laois Live that the four incidents all took place on Sunday, February 15.

At 1am, a driver was stopped on the Abbeyleix Road in Portlaoise, having tried to evade Gardaí. They refused to give a sample, and were charged and will now face court.

At 2am, a driver failed a breathlyser test at Station Road, Portarlington. They were charged and will also face court.

At 4pm on the same Sunday, a driver was arrested at Knockanina, Mountrath, after testing positive for drugs.

Finally at 8pm on February 15, at Jessop Street, Portlaoise, a driver was arrested by Laois Gardaí for drink driving, having failed a breathalyser test.

The Road Safety Authority say that 185 people lost their lives in 174 fatal collisions on public roads during 2025, compared to 171 deaths in 157 fatal collisions in 2024, a rise of 8%. 

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The RSA drink driving statistics from December 2025 show that almost 1 in 8 (12%) of Irish motorists admitted to driving after consuming alcohol in the past 12 months. 

DrinkAware.ie say that "it is never, ever safe to drink and drive, and in the instance of an emergency you should call 999."