Dangerous/careless driving increases by 213%

There has been a staggering increase of 213% in the number of dangerous/careless driving and motorway offences recorded in the Laois/Offaly between 2006 and 2007, according to crime figures released. 2,180 incidents of dangerous/careless driving and motorway offences were recorded by officers in 2007, the recently published Garda Recorded Crime Statistics 2003-2007 report indicates, up from 695 the previous year. However, despite a very high 99.1% detection rate among these type of traffic offences, only 496 resulted in further proceedings. In part, the massive rise in the driving offences over just a twelve month period can be attributed to the higher numbers of officers and increased visibility in the Garda Traffic Corps patrolling the roads of Laois/Offaly in the last few years. This would also account for an over doubling of the numbers of drivers caught speeding in 2007 in the Eastern Region which includes Laois/Offaly, going from over 33,000 in 2006 to in excess of 72,000 in just twelve months. No breakdown of speeding offences in each Garda Division is listed in the new report. Elsewhere, there is good news for Gardai in the driving licence/insurance offences figures falling from 1,026 in 2006 to just 973 twelve months later, down from a rate of 7.54 per 1,000 population to 6.91 this time around. Drug driving was also down in Laois/Offaly, falling from 40 in 2006 to 39 a year later. Drink driving statistics have remained static over the two year period the publication finds, with almost identical figures for both years. 627 people were caught driving a vehicle while over the legal alcohol limit in 2006 and twelve months later this number stood at 630. Relevant proceedings were brought in 505 and 492 drink driving cases in 2006 and 2007 respectively. The Garda Recorded Crime Statistics 2003-2007 is the second annual Central Statistics Office report featuring data recorded on the Garda Pulse computer system and the FCPS (Fixed Charge Penalty System) systems.