Kilkenny gardaí target drug and drink drivers in Operation Surround

Gardaí in Kilkenny will be carrying out numerous checkpoints to target drink and drug drivers and travelling criminals in the run up to Christmas.

Inspector Paul Donohoe, who is in charge of the Roads Policing Unit told members of the Joint Policing Committee at a recent public meeting that the initiative has been a great success to date.

The inspector outlined how Operation Surround started on the October bank holiday weekend and during the first weekend of the campaign there were six people arrested for drink driving and a further six drivers arrested on suspicion of drug driving, In total there were 683 breath tests carried out and 24 drug tests and six vehicles were seized.

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In the second there were a further two arrests for drink driving and three for drug driving and 290 breath tests were carried out and five drug tests. Nine vehicles were seized.

The operation involves targeting a town or village and placing checkpoints on all the main roads in and out of the centre.

Earlier this month Members of Kilkenny Roads Policing Unit were carrying out a checkpoint on November 10 as part of Operation Surround when they stopped a car in Ballyragget. The driver and passenger drove away from the checkpoint, but crashed  and overturned the vehicle a short time later on the Ballyragget to Freshford Road. Both men, who are in their 30s sustained minor injuries. Gardaí searched the vehicle and discovered cannabis with an approximate value of €40,000. The two men were arrested and have appeared in court.

Meanwhile gardaí are also detecting more drivers for ‘lifesaver offences’.

In 2022 397 drivers were caught using their phones when driving while this increased to 580 detections up to October this year. Meanwhile 57 drivers were detected not wearing safety belts in 2022 compared to 113 drivers up until October of this year.

The inspector also said in total there were 1827 detections for speed in 2022 compared with 1157 up to October of this year.