New drug tests will form part of Christmas road policing
Drivers are being warned to expect an increased Garda presence on the roads up to Christmas.
New roadside impairment tests targeting drug users will be rolled out across the country as part of a major new clampdown.
Research suggests that as many as one in ten people who die on Irish roads had drugs in their system.
"It's dangerous to drive with drugs, and it's illegal," said Garda Commissioner Noirin O'Sullivan, warning her officers would be vigilant. "The impairment test will help with indentifying that."
However, she said motorists following basic road safety advice was more important than any other measure the gardaí can introduce - including wearing seatbelts, avoiding mobile phone use, and reducing speed.
179 people have died on Irish roads so far this year - up seven on the same period in 2013.
