Brendan McGahon
Question:51 Mr. McGahon asked the Minister for Justice if he has any plans to introduce a highway patrol on Irish roads to minimise the high percentage of road accidents and also to curtail drunken driving.
Written Answers. - Highway Patrol.
A unit of the Garda Síochána, known as the traffic corps, is already attached to each Garda Division in the State. The principal function of the members of the force attached to the traffic corps is the prevention and detection of road traffic related offences. In the exercise of this function, these members are of course especially conscious of the need to reduce the number of fatal road accidents. They endeavour to achieve this by creating greater public consciousness of road safety by stringent enforcement of the road traffic laws and regulations.
In addition to the specific road traffic functions discharged by the traffic corps, all other members of the Garda Síochána have responsibility for ensuring that the road traffic laws and regulations are observed.