Drivers urged to take extra care ahead of bank holiday weekend
The RSA has advised drivers to take extra care on the roads this weekend, saying bank holidays are usually high-risk periods for collisions.
It also called for a "zero tolerance culture" towards drug driving as it launched a campaign aimed at dissuading the action ahead of the bank holiday weekend.
The Road Safety Authority said its initiative "puts a spotlight on the serious and life-altering consequences of driving under the influence of drugs".
This, it warned, includes "loss of employment, restrictions on international travel, and the impact on personal relationships".
The campaign "aims to correct public misconceptions and raise awareness, especially among young people, about the reality and risks of drug-driving", the RSA said.
Its Chief Executive Sam Waide said the initiative "is about more than law enforcement, it's about changing mindsets".
"Drug driving is a hidden but deadly threat on our roads," he added.
The Medical Bureau of Road Safety said it received 4,348 specimens for drug analysis last year - a 12% increase on 2023.
"In 73% of positive drug results, the drivers were under 44 years of age and the majority were male," it said, adding "cannabis and cocaine were the top two drugs found".
But Director of the bureau Professor Denis Cusack said it is "essential" that people continue taking doctor-prescribed or pharmacist-advised medications.
Chief Superintendent of the Garda National Road Traffic Bureau Jane Humphries said for the first quarter of this year, 814 people were arrested on suspicion of driving under the influence of drugs.
An Garda Síochána's Assistant Commissioner for Roads Policing and Community Engagement said gardaí are "encountering an increased number of people failing roadside drug tests".
Since January 2024, Paula Hilman said half of those detected "were aged under 30".
The launch of the RSA's campaign coincides with the May Bank Holiday Road Safety Appeal - a joint initiative by the authority and An Garda Síochána.
The appeal urges drivers "to slow down, avoid driving under the influence, and to keep mobile phones out of reach while on the road".
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