The highest number of drug-driving offences in Clare has been recorded by Gardaí in the East of the county over recent years, while drivers in the Ennis area are among the most likely in Ireland to be caught drink-driving.
1,361 motorists were caught drink-driving by Gardaí in Ennis between January 2004 and June of this year.
The figure is contained in CSO statistics compiled and published by the Irish Independent, which shows that Ennis is just outside the top ten in the country in the number of drink-driving arrests.
Over the same ten-year-period, nearly 400 drivers were caught by Gardaí in Shannon, with over 200 then in Killaloe and Ennistymon.
These are followed by Kilrush, Kilkee and Sixmilebridge – all over 100 – and then Scariff, Miltown Malbay, Newmarket on Fergus, Lissycasey, Lisdoonvarna, Tulla, Corofin, Crusheen, Kildysart and Ballyvaughan, where an average of one driver a year has been caught driving under the influence of alcohol.
Though Ennis tops the charts in terms of drink-related arrests, it is Killaloe where the highest number of drug-drivers have been recorded, at 41.
There have been 25 in Shannon and also 10 in Scariff.
Drug-drivers have also been caught in Kilrush, Sixmilebridge, Ennistymon, Kilkee, Lisdoonvarna, Miltown Malbay, Newmarket on Fergus, Tulla, Corofin and Crusheen.
A total of 3,434 drivers have been caught with either alcohol or drugs in their systems over the past ten years, an average of 27 each and every month.
