Garda begin 24-hour operation targeting speeding

Two motorists were caught driving at nearly twice the legal speed limit by gardaí on Friday morning, as part of a 24-hour Garda operation to target speeding.

The Garda operation involves 1,300 speed camera zones across the country.

One driver was found to be travelling at 97km/h in a 50km/h zone on the R680 Cork Road, Co Waterford. Another driver was detected driving at 94km/h in a 50km/h zone on the N20 Commons Road, Co Cork.

Gardaí caught another driver on the N6 Baile An Phoill Gaillimh, Co Galway, travelling at 83km/h in a 50km/h zone.

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Another motorist was recorded travelling at 137km/h in a 100km/h speed limit on the N7 Brownsbarn, Dublin 22.

The national Slow Down day includes higher-visibility roads and speed enforcement policing from 7am on Friday, until 7am on Saturday.

During the first five hours of the operation gardaí detected 237 drivers travelling above speed limits, from a total of 41,035 vehicles checked.

To date there have been 137 people killed on Irish roads this year, compared to 128 people last year. The number of deaths on Irish roads this year includes 29 pedestrians, 56 drivers, 24 passengers, 17 motorcyclists, and 11 cyclists.

The increase in the numbers killed in traffic collisions this year comes despite markedly lower traffic levels for extended periods during Covid-19 lockdowns and restrictions on travel.

The number of drivers caught speeding by gardaí has also increased by 26 per cent when compared to the same period last year, with 151,055 speeding detections up to the end of October.

During a previous GoSafe Garda campaign targeting speeding in May this year, 1,072 drivers were caught travelling above the speed limit, out of 126,001 vehicles checked.

In February, 900 new speed cameras were added to the national network now covering 1,300 areas.

A Garda spokesman said the 24-hour operation would be supported by increased speed enforcement checks by roads policing units nationwide.

"An Garda Síochána has continued the roll-out of new speed detection devices to our Roads Policing Units. An additional 80 devices have been rolled out for use as part of this operation, with a further 70 devices to be rolled out prior to year-end," he said.

Last year “excessive and inappropriate speed” was a contributory factor in around a third of fatal road traffic collisions, the spokesman said.

“The aim of Slow Down Day is to remind drivers of the dangers of speeding, increase compliance with speed limits and act as a deterrent to driving at excessive or inappropriate speed,” he said.

The penalty for speeding is three penalty points and an €80 fine if paid within 28 days.