A driver was arrested a total of SEVEN times in 2023 on suspicion of driving while under the influence.
Another driver arrested in 2023 on suspicion of drink driving was almost NINE times over the legal limit to drive.
The statistics were released as part of the 2023 annual report for the Medical Bureau of Road Safety.
The report also reveals the youngest male driver arrested on suspicion of driving under the influence was aged 13 and the oldest driver was aged 90.
In his Foreword to the report, Director of the Medical Bureau of Road Safety, Prof Denis Cusack has stated that “the issue of repeat and high risk intoxicated driving offenders remains to be addressed legislatively, in the prosecutorial process and also in medical rehabilitation”.
The report shows that two other drivers were arrested five times last year on suspicion of drink driving while six drivers were arrested four times and 22 drivers arrested three times during the 12 month period.
The report states that “the level of recidivism detected remains significant with 243 drivers arrested twice in 2023”.
All samples are sent by Gardai to the Medical Bureau of Road Safety for analysis and Prof Cusack said that the number of blood and urine specimens received in 2023 for alcohol analysis by the bureau “continued at a high level of 5,464 specimens”.
