Seven Mayo arrests for Christmas drink driving

Seven drivers in Mayo face the prospect of three months off the road after being arrested for suspected drink driving over Christmas.

None of the drivers, as occurred elsewhere, refused to give a sample of their breath.

The latter offence carries the penalty of a four-year driving ban.

The new law, in which drink drivers carry an automatic three-month ban, came into effect under the controversial new Alcohol Road Traffic (Amendment) Act 2018 hich came into operation in October.

Under the provisions of the new law, drivers with a breathalyser reading of 35 microgrammes of alcohol per 100 milllitres of breath will be disqualified from holding a driving licence for three months and receive a €200 fine.

As regards public order, over the Christmas period 21 such incidents were dealt with by gardai.