A 14-YEAR-OLD boy was among the youngest people arrested for drink driving last year, according to new figures from the Medical Bureau of Road Safety.

The bureau’s 2024 annual data shows alcohol and drug driving remains widespread, with 5,900 blood and urine samples received for analysis and 3,580 breath tests carried out at garda stations.

Young adults continue to dominate the figures: drivers aged 25 to 34 accounted for the largest share of specimens, while 78% of those arrested were under 45.

The oldest motorist arrested for intoxicated driving was 94.

Repeat offending also emerged as a significant concern.

Thirty-six people were arrested three times for drink or drug driving last year, 263 were arrested twice, and seven were detained between five and eleven times.

One driver was found to have a blood alcohol concentration of 428mg/100ml (more than eight times the legal limit of 50mg), the highest level recorded in 2024.

The bureau’s director, Professor Denis Cusack, told RTÉ’s Morning Ireland that dangerous behaviours like impaired driving, speeding and not using seatbelts remain persistent across all age groups, and warned that the overall picture on Irish roads “is getting worse”.

So far this year, 168 people have died in collisions, while around 1,300 more are expected to sustain life-altering injuries.

Cusack said the State needs to strengthen supports for repeat offenders and accelerate the introduction of alcohol-interlock devices, which prevent a vehicle from starting if a driver has been drinking.

The data comes as gardaí issued its first update on the national Christmas road-safety operation, which runs from 1 December to 5 January.

Between Monday 1 December and Sunday 7 December, officers carried out more than 1,750 checkpoints, including drink and drug testing sites and high-visibility road stops.

During that period, 118 people were arrested on suspicion of drink or drug driving.

Speeding remains a major issue, with more than 3,100 drivers detected above the limit in the first week alone. Notable speeds included a motorist caught travelling 185km/h in a 100km/h zone in Co Carlow.

Another motorist in Co Kildare was caught driving 159km/h in an 80km/h zone.

Gardaí also seized more than 630 vehicles during the week and issued roughly 390 fixed-charge notices for mobile-phone use, as well as 110 for seatbelt breaches.

Launching the cross-border Christmas road-safety appeal in Donegal, Superintendent David Kelly urged communities to intervene before tragedy occurs.

“If you know somebody who’s getting into a car under the influence, have a word in their ear,” he said.

“Prevention is equally important to detection.”