Arrests made over the weekend for suspected drink driving rose to 263 yesterday as motorists continued to ignore Garda warnings.
The figures are in line with the prediction on Friday of Assistant Garda Commissioner Eddie Rock that there would be up to 400 arrests for drink driving-related offences over the weekend and up to 3,000 speeding offences.
The drink-driving arrests came as fatalities on Irish roads since Friday reached five, two of which took place in the Republic and involved children.
A nine-year-old boy, who has not been named, was struck by a car at Menlough, Co Galway on Friday, while a 22-month-old boy, Evon Keane of Charnwood Grove, Clonsilla in Dublin, was struck by a car on the street where he lived shortly after 2pm on Saturday.
His death was announced a short time later at Connolly Hospital Blanchardstown.
Three people died in the North in two separate accidents. Gerry Fearon (26) from Dromintee, south Armagh, who was a passenger in a Renault van, and taxi driver Stephen Shields (44), who lived in Newry, died after their vehicles collided on the Dublin road just outside Newry shortly before midnight on Saturday.
Another man in his 20s died almost a day after he was seriously injured in a collision at Ballynahinch Road near Annahilt, Co Down at about 7am on Saturday.
A breakdown by the Garda press office of drink-driving arrests as part of the bank holiday weekend safety drive showed that 51 people were arrested for suspected drink driving on Friday. On Saturday another 102 people were detained and up to lunchtime yesterday a further 110 people were detained.
A Garda spokeswoman said there would be further updates on drink-driving arrests today as part of the operation, which continues until midnight tonight. Gardaí renewed their appeal to people that "if you are drinking this bank holiday weekend, don't drive; use a nominated non-drinking driver to do the driving or else use public transport".
At the start of the weekend safety operation, the assistant commissioner appealed to motorists to plan ahead to ensure a safe weekend on the roads.
He predicted that 3,000 drivers would be caught speeding over the weekend and that up to 400 drink-driving cases would be processed.
Taoiseach Bertie Ahern had also appealed to drivers to exercise caution and particularly appealed to parents and young drivers to do all within their grasp to make it a safe weekend for driving.
His comments followed the incident which took place in Co Monaghan last weekend, when five young men were killed in a two-car collision.
Labour's finance spokeswoman Joan Burton said that an all-Ireland road safety strategy was required to cut road deaths, particularly in Border areas.
She called for immediate action on the synchronisation of penalty points North and South, and added that there had to be mutual recognition of driving licences on both sides of the Border.
