Drink-driving prosecutions down 60% since 2006

There has been a 60% drop in prosecutions for drink-driving and a 40% fall in dangerous driving cases since 2006, according to official figures.

But the total number of traffic cases going through the courts has marginally increased in the same period, driven by other offences.

The sheer scale of road-related offences continues to cause a logistical nightmare for the legal system — accounting for almost six out of 10 cases before the district courts.

It has prompted the head of the judiciary, Chief Justice Ms Susan Denham to call for “imaginative ways” to deal with such cases.

The Courts Service yesterday released details of an analysis into traffic offences over the last eight years. It shows:

• A 42% reduction in court orders relating to dangerous driving cases — from 6,721 in 2006 to 3,886 in 2013.
• A 60% fall in drink driving orders — from 27,836 to 11,329.
• A marginal 1% increase in the total number of traffic cases — from 198,412 (2005) to 200,786.

The Courts Service said that while the overall number of cases had increased slightly, the type of offences had changed greatly.

In relation to dangerous driving prosecutions, there had been a steady fall in cases over the years, with a 15% drop last year on 2012 figures and 28% down on 2010.

The Courts Service said 231 people were sent to prison in relation to these offences, 95 received suspended sentences and 32 were given community service. A further 474 were fined.

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Source: Cormac O'Keeffe, Irish Examiner, 07/08/14