Mayo drink driving arrests are on the rise

A SIGNIFICANT rise has been recorded in the number of drivers in Mayo charged for drink driving so far this year.

The Garda Chief Superintendent for Mayo Pat Diskin revealed that 142 drivers in the county have been charged with the offence in 2016.

The figure represents that’s a 38 per cent increase on this time last year.

However, overall crime in the county is falling.

The officer that while the gardai are never complacent, statistics show dropping crime rates in the county over the past 12 months.

Serious assaults are down 10 per cent, minor assaults down 26 per cent, burglaries are down 26 per cent, theft of cars down 26 per cent, while arrests for the possession of drugs are up 26 per cent.

In terms of road safety, three people have died on Mayo roads so far this year. A total of 13 people were fatally injured on Mayo roads last year (2015).