A SENIOR GARDA has warned that anyone drinking a cup of coffee while driving is at risk of “distraction” on the road.

The message featured in an announcement today by leading gardaí as they sought to make risky actions culturally unacceptable for anyone behind the wheel.

“A driver may not feel that drinking a cup of coffee while they’re travelling to work is a distraction,” Chief Superintendent David Harrington said.

“It is a distraction, you shouldn’t be doing it. 100% of your attention should be on your driving.”

People have been asked to report dangerous driving behaviours to gardai after a high number of road fatalities last year.

A senior garda has urged the public not to get distracted by technology, drinking or eating while driving, and to “really” focus on not speeding and ensuring seatbelts are worn.

Twenty-six people died on the roads over the Christmas period and there were more than 70 collisions that resulted in serious or life-threatening injuries.

There were 190 road deaths in total in 2025, an increase from 175 in 2024.

From December 1 until January 5, nearly 10,000 checkpoints were carried out and 765 people were arrested for driving under the influence of an intoxicant – of which 56% were primarily alcohol and 44% were primarily drugs.

Nearly 1,700 Fixed Charge Notices were issued for the offence of using a mobile phone while driving and more than 450 Fixed Charge Notices to vehicle users for not wearing a seatbelt.

Nearly 26,500 drivers were detected for speeding offences by gardai, Mobile Safety Camera Vans and Static Safety Cameras by GoSafe.

Harrington, of the Garda National Roads Policing Bureau, has urged members of the public to report dangerous behaviour on the roads.

“In 2025, 190 people lost their lives on our roads, a devastating loss and a catastrophic loss to their families, their friends and their communities,” he said.

“All road users must be cognisant of their actions and cognisant of the consequences of their actions.”

He urged members of the public to contact gardai if they see what could be dangerous behaviour on the roads.

“If a member of the public sees a potential offence taking place or about to take place, yes, they should call An Garda Síochána and we will respond.

“There is an obligation on us all, and that’s why I reference a community obligation.

“Enforcement alone is not enough – it’s a really important part of it, and that is our core obligation is enforcement – but there’s a community piece in this.

“We must make risky behaviour on the roads unacceptable – culturally unacceptable, socially unacceptable.”

He said that a traffic truck is still being used to monitor driver behaviour, and has been used for prosecutions, and gardai are still carrying out 30 minutes of roads policing as part of their shifts.

He said an increase in speed cameras “could be very helpful”, and said the 12 cameras rolled out last year had been effective in increasing the detection of speeding vehicles “significantly”.

“At this stage that we’re still talking about people in cars (not) wearing seatbelts, after all the awareness campaigns, after all of the information put out there about the injuries that are caused and maybe some of the injuries that could be reduced by wearing your seat belts, I also find it baffling.”

Asked about people who continue to offend despite road warnings, he said: “There’s possibly a sense of invincibility, possibly downright disrespect for the law and therefore their fellow citizens and road users, and it’s unacceptable.

“I agree that we’ll say awareness brings us so far, as I mentioned, enforcement brings us so far but for behaviour of that nature, it’s detection and prosecution.”