THERE has been a 12% reduction in drink-driving detections so far this year compared to 2015, but the figures show the message isn’t getting through to younger drivers.

Kerry Garda Chief Superintendent, Con Cadogan, delivered the latest traffic figures for the division at the meeting of the Joint Policing Committee in Kerry County Council on Monday.

There have been six road fatalities in Kerry so far this year, one less than the same period in 2015. Three were pedestrians, two motorcyclists and one pedal cyclist. Serious traffic collisions were up 42% this year (17) so far compared to 2015 (12).

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There were eight cases of driving under the influence of drugs in 2016 compared to 10 last year. Drink-driving detections were down 12% from 256 to 225.

Of these, 21 to 30 year olds made up the majority of arrests, with 59 men and nine women driving while intoxicated accounting for 31% of all drink drivers.

Next was the 31-40 age group (22%), 41-50 (21%), 51-60 (11%), 61-70 (7%) and 71-80 (2%). Many councillors at the meeting expressed surprise and concern that the anti-drink drive message wasn’t getting through to younger drivers.