150 caught speeding in first two hours of garda Christmas crack down

Over 150 motorists have been caught speeding in the first two hours of a garda Christmas operation on Friday.

With much of the country preparing for journeys home over the Christmas weekend, gardaí and the Road Safety Authority (RSA) launched its 24 hour National Slow Down Day appeal. They said they were “very mindful” that nine people died on the roads last year between Christmas Eve and New Year’s Eve.

“We really have ask people to pay attention to their speeding,” said Sarah O’Connor, the RSA’s director of external affairs.

In the same period, a further 30 people suffered serious injuries in road crashes.

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Speed continues to play a central role in Irish road deaths, which so far this year have risen by 28 on 2021 levels to 156.

Slow Down Days, 24-hour periods that take place sporadically throughout the year as a reminder to motorists, typically detect between 1,100 and 1,500 offences.

Between 7am and 9am on Friday, Go Safe speed vans, located in 162 high-risk locations around the country, observed 19,246 vehicles and detected 153 offenders.

“[This is] about people taking a considerable risk,” said Assistant Garda Commissioner for Roads Policing Paula Hilman.

“We’ve detected someone driving at 135kmh in an 80kmh zone on the N4. If you’re going to be that reckless and take those risks we will be out on the roads and we will detect people.

“But overall we’re asking people [to] slow down. We all share the road space ... let’s all look out for one and other.”

Other detections on Friday morning included a vehicle travelling 88kmh in a 50kmh zone in Coolock, Dublin, and 76kmh in a 50kmh zone in Baile An Phoill, Galway.

Early next month the RSA will undertake a review of its road safety strategy with next year’s campaign likely to focus on speeding.

“Speed is one of those things that does not go away as part of the road safety narrative,” said Ms O’Connor.

Drivers are being urged to take the usual advice into account on journeys over the coming week – plan ahead, leave earlier on long journeys and take frequent breaks to avoid fatigue.

More than 1,000 drivers were fined or prosecuted for speeding during An Garda Síochána’s National Slow Down Day last June.